CrissCross
by peaceful abyss
Summary: She, a trained spy. He, a wealthy businessman. A mission intertwines the two, and a greater evil waits ahead for them. Could they set aside their differences and grow a bond? Or will their lives just criss-cross? sasusaku
1. In Disguise

Woohooo! Another story! This one was inspired from I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you. (Great book!) Don't you just love a spy romance? ahhh :)

**Summary:** She, a trained spy. He, a wealthy businessman. A mission intertwines the two, and a greater evil waits ahead for them. Could they set aside their differences and grow a bond? Or will their lives just criss-cross? sasusaku

**Words:** 3190

**Disclaimer:** it's FANfiction...

* * *

**Chapter 1—In Disguise**

Sunglasses that let you see behind

_Check_

Two-sided blazer to interchange

_Check_

Wig that hid pink hair

_Check_

Walkie-talkie disguised as earrings

_Check_

A contented smile settled on plump cherry red lips. Auburn colored hair swayed with every step the teen took. A sleek black blazer covered the hidden curves of the eighteen-year-old.

_Bzz…_

"Starburst, come in…" A female voice spoke.

The earrings buzzed into the girl's ears. The sound level was specifically tuned so that only the person wearing the fashion pieces would be able to hear.

"Starburst here."

The girl stood in front of the wall that was plated with mirrors. _How rich was this guy anyway?_ She inspected her surroundings. A scarlet carpet stretched for as long as the eye could see. Mirror plated walls reflected her. Gold railings followed the direction of the hallway. The girl looked at her reflection from head to toe. Her disguise was a success. If only she could do something about those vibrant eyes of hers. They were a startling emerald color. Too bad contacts irritated her eyes.

"Are you in, Starburst?" The earrings crackled again.

"Affirmative." The codenamed 'Starburst' replied.

Her real name was Sakura. And she was a spy.

* * *

"Do you see the target, yet?"

"Nope…you can barely see a thing here. I've been here for five minutes, and I'm still in the hallway." Sakura spoke softly.

"Dang!" She heard her best friend, Ino's voice, in the background.

"That's what you get for sneaking into a millionaire's mansion." Sakura's other best friend, Tenten, replied. "Remember all you have to do is get in, get the blueprint, and get out. And whatever you do, don't get caught."

"I know. This disguise is for 'just in case.' Don't worry."

A sigh was heard from the other side.

"That worries me. I have a bad feeling about this mission…"

"You worry too much." Sakura stopped at an intersection. She could either turn left or right. "Which way do I go, Swiper?" She called Tenten by her codename. There was the sound of typing on a keyboard. After a few moments of clacking, Tenten replied.

"Left and then turn on the second right." Sakura followed the directions given. She passed through thickly carpeted hallways, huge paintings, and extravagant sculptures. Well what else did she expect to see form the Uchiha mansion?

Sakura crept stealthily through the twists and turns. She was beginning to wonder if this was a living environment or a maze with no exit. Her friends were having similar thoughts.

"Where in the world is the blueprint? How can we possibly find it?" Ino yelled from frustration through the earrings. "Is Orochimaru even correct about these directions?!"

Orochimaru was their employer for this mission. He was a sickly looking old man with a twisted mind. Sakura was personally disgusted by the male. However, she was paid for the job. It was a sacred rule of spies to not question the inquiries of the employer. Get paid and do the job. Simple and no hard feelings. Right after the mission is completed, she would find another employer and so on and so forth.

Orochimaru, though, wanted an Uchiha blueprint. He just had to pick the most wealthy family to steal from. Not that Sakura minded, she loved a challenge. But deep down in the pits of her stomach, like Tenten, she had a bad feeling from this mission too.

Sakura stopped at the foot of the staircase. Just as she was about to go up, voices stopped her.

"For the last time, I will not go." A distinct yet _manly_ voice carried out across the lobby. Sakura peeked out from behind the staircase and tried to find the source of the sound. Two men stood at the top of the stairs. One was a middle-aged businessman in a gray suit and carried a leather briefcase. The other man was drop dead gorgeous. With dark hair, mysterious onyx eyes, and a killer body, he looked more like a model. Sakura recognized the young man not much older than herself. His face was seen on magazines and the news channels. He was none other than the youngest heir to the Uchiha Corporation, Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

The older man straightened up his tie nervously. It must have taken a lot of guts to stand up to the onyx-eyed man. He was intimidating, Sakura could tell.

"But I'm sure this would benefit Uchiha Corp. greatly."

The man attempted to persuade the young Uchiha. Even though Sasuke wasn't the head of the company yet, he still handled many of the affairs and issues.

"I do not need to go to that promotion party. We already have the blueprint ready. Besides, my father will personally be there. Is that not enough for you?" Sasuke's eyes flashed in annoyance.

"N..no, that's not it at all…" the man flustered.

"Then, I suppose that means we have nothing to discuss. Well then, the door's located on the left. Good-bye."

The other man had no other choice but to leave dejectedly. Sakura ducked out of view as the man descended from the staircase. She didn't know whether to be surprised at Sasuke's stoic attitude or annoyed that there was a door that was closer to the destination than the one she entered from. It could've saved her much needed time to finish her mission. Orochimaru really needed to check his sources on the directions. Sakura sighed. Wonder what happens when Sasuke finds out that the important blueprint is stolen. Well, before the day is over, that is.

Sakura heard Sasuke walk away above her. _What a hunk!_

She immediately shook the thought away. Now was not the time to daydream. Besides, she doubt Sasuke would ever forgive her for the deed she was about to do.

That is, _if_ he finds out that she stole the blueprint.

Which he won't.

After the sound of footsteps faded away, Sakura crept out from her hiding spot. She stealthily sneaked upstairs.

"Now go to the right first door on your left. The blueprint should be somewhere hidden in that room."

"Alright."

Sakura walked to the door. Its large frame towered over her. She grasped the brassy doorknob and turned it. The door swung open without a creak. Sakura smirked. She walked inside the room. It was some sort of study. Three mahogany bookcases full of books lined up against the wall. A big potted plant was next to the door. On the left, the wall was full of certificates, trophies, and other records of achievement from the Uchiha Corp.

In front of Sakura sat a humongous, wooden, _expensive_ desk. On it were stacks of paperwork and a computer. That may be a good a place to start to look.

Sakura walked over. She rifled through the papers on the desk first, careful to not make a mess. No blueprint in sight. Next, she opened the drawers. Papers were stuffed in every nook and cranny. Notebooks and journals were also stacked inside. Sakura noticed a letter that stuck out of one of the notebooks. Her eyes scanned through it.

_Dear Orochimaru,_

_We, here, at the Uchiha Corporation are unfortunately declining your request of buying the new building plan and plot of land from out next project. We hope to use the land to expand the company. Best wishes to you. We hope you bear no hard feelings._

_President of Uchiha Corporation_

_Fugaku Uchiha_

Sakura finished reading. No hard feelings, huh? Well, Mr. Fugaku, seems like Orochimaru didn't listen to your suggestion. Geez, that man must really want that new building. Oh well, it wasn't any of her business anyway. Sakura put down the letter when she heard, yet again, another set of footsteps coming her way. She frantically looked to her sides. No hiding spot except for…

Under the desk.

Sakura scrambled to the ground and took cover. The door clicked open right after. Sakura held her breath. If she was caught now, she wouldn't be able to come up with a good alibi.

_Click, Click, Click._

A pair of shoes appeared in Sakura's line of vision.

A pair of leather shoes.

Shiny, brand new, _expensive_ leather shoes.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _How rich were these people?_

She heard a ruffle of papers. He must be looking for something too. Sakura could just hear the ticking of time passing by. Could he hurry up? And then, the worst imaginable thing occurred.

_Bzz…_

No! Not now! Sakura mentally screamed.

"Starburst? Did you find it yet?" Tenten's voice came through the earrings. Sakura wasn't worried about her voice. But she was kind of nervous on how she'd tell Tenten to not talk. It was too distracting. And her own voice may be heard.

"Hello, Starburst?" the earrings crackled again.

Sakura's heart started racing. She was going to kill Tenten once she got back…

_If_ she got back…

Sakura mentally groaned. She raised her arm and used the cuff of the blazer to muffle her voice a bit.

"_Shh…!"_ Sakura hissed into the earrings. Immediately Tenten replied.

"Oops! Sorry!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Now it was quiet…

Her eyes narrowed.

_Too quiet…_

What had happened to the sound of rustling papers? The pair of shoes were still in view. Was her cover blown?

Tenten… you better watch it.

But then, the sound of papers started again. Sakura mentally let out her held breath.

That was close.

Well now, back to waiting until the man leaves.

* * *

Itachi was usually a stoic man.

But he also had a lot of curiosity. More curiosity than a regular man's fair share.

At first, when he went to the office, he thought he might be able to relax a bit. The project for the company was creating a fuss around the mansion. The air inside was almost suffocating. And finally, there was peace and quiet. Only him and books. Lots and lots of books.

Or so he thought..

That was before he stepped inside the room.

Itachi Uchiha was although at times a _bit_ lazy, he was a **real** genius. Once he went closer to the desk, he sensed that there was another person inside the room with him. His instincts kicked in. But soon, Itachi realized that self-defense wasn't needed. Especially if the "enemy" was hiding underneath a desk, the only potential hiding spot in the room.

Then Itachi smelled something peculiar. The scent of strawberries…He smirked. There was a girl in the room with him. Perhaps, she was a fan girl that somehow sneaked in. Wanting to see if he could figure out more, the twenty-four-year-old walked behind the desk, making sure that the girl could see him, even if it was only his shoes.

He began flipping through the paperwork on the desk just to keep up his act. Them a strange thing happened. He distinctly heard a "shh…" come out from underneath the desk. He was surprised that the girl would even make a sound. That meant that she had some sort of communication device. For a second, Itachi wondered if he should rat her out. It was his family's company, and she _did _break in. However, he also had a feeling that the girl wouldn't cause any physical harm to anyone. She smelt like strawberries for crying out loud!

Itachi Uchiha was amused by the girl who had broken in, hid under a desk, broke her cover, and had a fruity scent. That didn't happen very often. He smirked. He'll let her play her little game while he sat on the sidelines and watched the show. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be shuffling through the papers. He resumed the task until a voice interrupted him.

"Weasel! Where are you?" His cousin, Shisui, called out from the hallways. Although Itachi considered him as a brother and best friend, he was fairly disappointed that Shisui ruined his chance to tease the girl more. With a sigh, he began walking towards the door and away from the interesting little thing under the desk. Well, there will definitely be a next time, Itachi was sure of that.

"Weasel, where are you?" Shisui yelled again. Itachi's left eye twitched. That nickname was given to him by his cousin, and he was the only one that dared to call Itachi that. However, that did not mean that Itachi liked it. He waited in front of the door as he heard the footsteps come closer. Timing had to be perfect. Itachi waited. Any moment now.

"Wea…!"

_Slam!_

Itachi opened the door. Swung it _hard._

"Ouch! Geez, what was that for?" Shisui rubbed his nose as he glared. "You know, normal people would just say, "I'm here" instead of getting vicious."

Itachi smirked and walked off.

"Normal people aren't called 'weasel'." He said quietly behind his back. Shisui looked at his best friend sauntering off.

"Dammit! Why are you acting all cool?!"

* * *

Sakura waited until the coast was clear. Two pairs of footsteps had walked off. Good.

Geez, who lived in this place anyway? She had only been in here for an hour or so and she's already met a hunk, heard a weasel, and a close acquaintance to the weasel. What else was there? Hopefully, no more strange encounters. She crouched up a little and attempted to maneuver herself out from under the desk.

_Whack! Crunch!_

Her head had hit the wood. Sakura winced in pain. That was going to leave a mark. Judging from the sound, Sakura was pretty sure that the wood wasn't so happy about the 'up and personal' meeting with the head either.

Wait a minute…the sound…

Sakura looked up. Rolled up and hidden on the edge of the desk was a piece of paper.

The blueprint!

Sakura smirked. The bump on the head did something right. She mentally thanked 'Weasel' too. If he didn't come into the room, she never would have hid under the desk in the first place. Quickly, Sakura grabbed it and stuffed it into a hidden compartment in her blazer.

"Starburst here. Target is found."

_Bzz…._

"Good work! Did you get caught?"

Sakura started to open the door to the hallway. She crept out and started to backtrack her route.

"Nope. Mission success."

"Hold up. You still didn't get out yet. Save the celebrating for when you actually get your butt out here." Sakura rolled her eyes as she sneaked onto another hallway.

"mhm…"

"Oh yeah, just in case you want to make me shut up again, say "wow." Act like you're admiring or checking out something. Got it?"

"Yeah, got…"

"Starburst?"

"Wow."

The other line went silent.

Sakura couldn't believe her luck. She was so close to a mission perfection too! Hopefully, she doesn't get busted. Two figures walked closer towards her. Whoa, Tenten didn't have to worry about a thing. No acting was required. Because when you have Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha coming your way, even in an extravagant mansion, the only thing you can 'check out' are the two males. Sakura mentally smacked herself. Can't afford to blow her cover now, after everything that has already happened. She regained her posture into that of a dignified one. Sasuke and Itachi now stood before her. Sasuke just looked at her as Itachi gave her a 'once-over' and smirked. Oh boy, _he was a hunk too._

"What are you doing here?" the younger brother asked. His tone annoyed. "Who are you?" Quickly, Sakura made up an alibi.

"My name is Akari Mao. I'm a secretary for…"she was cut off.

"You work for Mr. Yakamura, don't you? Well, I already escorted him out as I will do for you." Sakura figured that Sasuke was talking about the middle-aged businessman from before. Well, that wasn't quite the alibi she had in mind, but it worked too.

"Fine." She followed him to a nearby door. Itachi walked behind her. She could feel his stare. It was a bit unnerving yet she was flattered that he would give her a second glance.

Sasuke opened the door for her. With a disinterested look, he muttered.

"Good-bye."

Itachi followed suit with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, good-bye…Ms. Akari Mao" Then the door closed. Sakura let out her second held breath and walked off the Uchiha land. Her car was found hidden underneath some shrubbery nearby.

"Swiper?"

"Yes?"

"Time to celebrate."

* * *

Sasuke looked at his older brother. Either something went wrong or something went right. Sasuke wasn't sure he liked the expression for either circumstance.

"What's with that look?" He asked, referring to the smirk.

"Foolish little brother, did you notice something about that girl?"

"What do you mean?" What did you notice?" Sasuke questioned his older brother who still had the smirk on his face.

"She had emerald eyes………and…"

"…and…?"

"She smelled of strawberries."

"…"

Sasuke gave Itachi a 'what's wrong with you' look.

"What the heck does that have to do with anything?"

"Master Itachi! Master Sasuke! The blueprint's gone!" one of the Uchiha Corp.'s employees ran over to them. Even though it was the Uchiha house, many of the employees work in there too since the mansion was huge anyways. Sasuke's eyes widened as he grabbed hold of the man's arm. He tightened his grip.

"How do you know that?" The man almost whimpered from the vice-like grip on his arm.

"W..well, Master Fugaku wanted me to get it…and it… it's not there."

Sasuke looked over to his brother who had an indescribable look plastered on. Sasuke growled.

Guess he better go see for himself.

With that, he dashed to the office. Other footsteps accompanied him. It must have been Itachi.

He threw open the door and stormed to the desk. Sasuke bent down and used his hand to touch the edge.

The blueprint really wasn't there.

"You there! Come over here!" Sasuke motioned for the employee. "Were there any guests at the mansion here, today?"

The man pondered for a moment.

"There was Mr. Yakamura, and that was all."

"Call him up, and tell him to report back to the mansion."

"Yes, sir."

Sasuke practically glowered at the man.

"Are you sure there was no one else here today?"

The man avoided his gaze.

"W..well…"

"Mr. Yakamura's secretary." Came Itachi's quiet response. Sasuke nodded. Yes, there was still that girl. To be quite honest, he was strangely looking forward to calling that girl back. She was quite…interesting. How often did you see someone with emerald eyes anyway?

"Yes, go call both of them back now."

"Yes, sir."

Sasuke's hand clenched into a fist.

The one who stole the blueprint will not get away with it. Sasuke was going to make sure of that.

* * *

first chapter finished!! yay

R&R


	2. In Debt

Here comes the second chapter! Thank you for all that reviewed. Truly wonderful. And they have fueled me up to write this second chappie. (in less than a week! :O ) This story had just came up in my head so I'm still not quite sure what will happen and what-not. So... if you have any ideas, feel free to tell me. I will see if I can add it into the story. :) and now...enjoy!

**Words:** 3996

**Disclaimer:** I would think that it is quite obvious...

* * *

**Chapter two— In Debt**

Sakura drove her Mercedes down the street, well more like pathway from mansion to gate. Once she came to the cast iron gates, she took one look back towards the building. It really was a magnificent sight. Sculptures lined the walkway to the gigantic door, a fountain sat in the middle of the garden on the side, the mansion was like the White House for heavens sake! Sakura whistled under her breath. What she wouldn't give to live in a place like that! Gently shaking her head, she drove off, out of the gates, out of the Uchiha compound.

* * *

Sasuke was in a bad mood. A really bad mood. The blueprint that was going to be the step to glory for Uchiha Corp. was stolen. It was snatched from right under everyone's eyes. How could that have happened? It wasn't as if there wasn't people inside. But the villain had taken the blueprint with everyone not expecting a thing! Sasuke could picture how the reporters would have a field day on this topic. It would probably be the main story on the news. _'Uchiha Corp. losing its touch. Robbery occurs without notice.' _Oh yeah, that will be real good publicity.

Sasuke could see his older brother off to the side, mind deep in thought. Itachi hadn't said a word after they found out the incident. Well…he wasn't the talkative type anyway.

His father sat at the desk, the very desk where the blueprint had once been hidden. Mr. Fugaku sat there, stern faced, with his hands cupped in front of him. He might have looked calm and collected on the outside, but Sasuke knew the truth. On the inside, he was a torrent of angry and shameful feelings. To think, he and his two sons, couldn't even keep a paper from being snatched away. He was ashamed. Deeply ashamed. And that made Sasuke all the more angrier.

At that moment, the door opened. A nervous faced Mr. Yakamura stepped into the study. A normal study would look peaceful with books that a man like Mr. Yakamura could get lost in. However, this wasn't a normal study. The businessman gulped. The only reason it wasn't like a regular study was because of the people inside. If you looked at them, then you would know that you were being put on trial, and you weren't going to go soon. Mr. Yakamura sensed this, and perhaps that was why beads of sweat lined his face. To think, he had to come to this place twice in a day. His heart lifted. Maybe they were reconsidering his offer of making Sasuke go to the promotion party.

Then he saw the glares.

Then again, maybe not.

"Mr. Yakamura, are you aware of why we called you here?" Mr. Fugaku spoke. It held authority, and yet, it also held a 'you better watch out' vibe. It was then that Mr. Yakamura knew. He was either going to get eaten. Or he was going to faint.

Probably the latter.

"N…no, sir."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Well, that was a surprise.

Mr. Fugaku continued.

"The blueprint that you and my youngest son were discussing about earlier today…did you know it was stolen?"

Glare.

Gulp.

Burning Holes.

Almost peeing in pants.

_Almost._

Sasuke mentally shivered in disgust. This man was incapable of doing any stealing. He was practically unable to talk. And he knew, that if the businessman stayed any longer…there really might be a stain on the floor.

_Yuck._

Mr. Yakamura fidgeted. Did they suspect him of stealing the blueprint? It was certainly not him! He could tell them that he would never do a bad thing in his life. He could tell them that he was unable to hurt a fly. He could tell them that his mom called everyday to check up on him. Well…that wasn't necessary to tell them, was it? Even though it might help, Mr. Yakamura had a slight sense of pride, and he held it in. He bit his tongue and instead of denying the truth, all that came out was..

"Nunnn…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes for the tenth time. Was this really a twenty-nine-year-old man? He seemed as if he was about to hyperventilate. He looked over to his brother who had some sort of look of amusement displayed on his face. So sadistic…

Mr. Fugaku cleared his throat. He probably also sensed that talking to the man was useless.

"Alright, we believe you didn't commit the crime. You may go now, Mr. Yakamura." But the man didn't move.

His pupils dilated.

His hands stopped fidgeting.

He might have stopped breathing and then…

_Plop!_

Mr. Yakamura fell face flat on the carpet.

He was out cold.

Mr. Fugaku sighed and ordered some people to take the businessman somewhere to rest. Without another word, he left. He left his two sons. One very angry and annoyed son. And one very amused and thoughtful son. What had this day turned into?

* * *

"What are you planning to do?" Itachi questioned Sasuke from across the room. Sasuke thought for a second.

"I'm going after Mr. Yakamura's secretary. She's our only lead now." Itachi smirked.

"Going after her…?"

_Glare._

"Just saying…"

"You're no help at all."

Itachi's smirk got a whole lot bigger.

"I have a feeling that you'll have a hard time finding his secretary." Itachi started walking towards the door.

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke called out after him.

"You'll see…" He walked out. Sasuke groaned. What was going on? His stupid brother was giving him riddles. The blueprint was gone. Mr. Yakamura had fainted. His father was giving him the cold shoulder.

Sasuke's eyes hardened.

"I'm coming after you…whoever you are."

* * *

"Hey! So how'd it go?" Ino asked Sakura as she plopped down onto the sofa next to her. Tenten sat cross-legged on the floor. All three girls were at Ino's house for a little gathering after the mission.

"I gave the blueprint to Tsunade…she said she'd take care of it." Tsunade was Sakura's boss and was the one who assigned her the mission. Ino snorted.

"I was talking about your actual mission."

"Well…it was big, rich, extravagant, elegant…" Sakura trailed off. Tenten swatted with her hand.

"Yes, yes. We know that. But we also know that there are two major lookers in there." Sakura chuckled. Of course, _that_ was the topic they were interested in.

"Are they like gods?" Ino chirped in. Her glassy blue eyes gleamed.

"…Ino, you already have Shikamaru." Sakura pointed out. Shikamaru was Ino's high school sweetheart. He worked in their spy agency too, as a strategist and computer programmer. The blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"I know…but still, I want the details!"

"They were……" Sakura paused for dramatic effects. Tenten and Ino's heads inched closer.

"Smokin' hot." She declared. The two girls squealed. No one could ever guess that they worked as spies and were masters at deceit. Sakura sometimes, forgot about it herself. When they were together, it was just regular girl fun. Something normal. Which Sakura knew she was not.

"You're so lucky that you saw them." Ino sighed dreamily. Tenten chuckled.

"Remember, Ino, you already have a boyfriend." The girl rolled her eyes.

"I know. I know." Sakura checked her watch. It was time to leave.

"Sorry, guys. I gotta go now. Hinata and I planned to go shopping today." The two girls nodded. Hinata was Sakura's roommate in the little apartment they shared. She, unlike the rest of them, was not a spy. And she didn't know that Sakura was. As for Sakura, she planned to keep it that way. Might as well let someone think that she was normal. Still, deceiving Hinata was hard. That girl was shy, timid, and yet fiercely loyal. She was a best friend, but she was kept in the shadows. Sakura sighed. You gotta do what you gotta do.

"Alright. But remember all the juicy details for later!" Ino hollered as Sakura walked out. She smiled.

"Don't worry. I won't be able to forget."

* * *

"Shisui.." Sasuke called out for his cousin. The man walked over.

"What is it?"

"Can you check up on someone for me?" Shisui arched his brow.

"Who?" Sasuke's gaze hardened.

"Akari Mao."

* * *

"Hinata! I'm home!" Sakura kicked off her shoes as she searched for the light haired girl.

"A…ah, I'm here…Sakura" Hinata came out, carrying a purse.

"Ready?" Sakura asked. Hinata looked down. Uh-oh.

Sakura knew that Hinata was naturally a very shy person. But, the only times she looked down was when she was embarrassed or going to ask a favor. There was nothing for her to be embarrassed about so…

"Umm…" Sakura waited.

"What is it?" The girl hesitated.

"You see…there's a party tonight." Sakura's brow furrowed. Parties were fun. Why was Hinata acting so nervous?

"A…a business…party." Oh.

Hinata never liked business parties. Her older brother, Neji, always looked down upon her. She was brought along because she was part of the family. Otherwise, she was thought to be a 'disgrace' for the Hyuugas.

"And…I was…umm, wondering if you could come with…me?" At this, Hinata looked up hopefully.

How could Sakura deny that? If it made her best friend feel better, then she'd do it.

"Ok, no problem. I'll go with you." The girl beamed at her.

"Is that why we have to go shopping tonight?"

"Yeah…" Hinata looked down again. Maybe Sakura didn't really want to go… Sakura chuckled and linked her arm with Hinata's.

"Well, what are you waiting for? C'mon!"

* * *

"Did you come up with anything?" Sasuke asked his cousin a little while later. They were still in the study. Shisui furrowed his brows in concentration.

"I've tried everything. There is one Akari Mao that's ninety. Another that's in jail. Which one did you want?" He replied sarcastically.

"Are you positively sure there are no others?"

"Swear on your grave."

Sasuke pondered upon the situation. This girl didn't exist. Then who was she? No matter what, this made it clear. She had stolen the blueprint. And, he was going to get it back… but before that happened…

_Twitch._

"Why my grave?

* * *

"Ooo! Look at this dress!" Sakura pulled an aquamarine halter dress out of the rack. Hinata nodded enthusiastically.

"You would look really good with it…you should try it on!"

Sakura followed her friend's advice. She went into the dressing room and slipped on the dress. It was really amazing how the dress seemed to know everything about her body. It hugged her curves and trailed down towards her ankles, giving her a dignified look. It was really perfect. Then she took a look at the price tag. The cost was ..not so perfect. How in the world can she afford something that is 5,000 dollars?! But, as Sakura looked at herself in the mirror, she knew. This dress was taken.

After an hour or so, Hinata also found a dress to her liking. It was a maroon colored dress with straps. The color contrasted with her eyes and hair. It made her stand out. Sakura grinned and gave her best friend a thumbs up sign.

The two girls began to walk to the cash register. Hinata poked Sakura's shoulder worriedly as they were paying.

"Umm…are you sure you can…afford that?" Sakura grimaced. She wasn't sure. But…she couldn't put the dress down. The cashier smiled and spoke.

"We have a program here. You can rent the dress if you want. It will only be a thousand dollars. Then you can return it within three days. Will that work for you?" Sakura couldn't believe her luck.

"Heck yea! That'll work!"

* * *

"…"

Sasuke glared at Shisui.

"What?"

"…I don't know if I should say it."

"Why not?"

"…you have a nasty temper."

"Out with it." Shisui took a deep breath.

"You should probably go to that promotion party tonight, like Mr. Yakamura suggested. We don't want the news getting out about the stolen blueprint. You might be able to handle things over there. Plus, there _are_ a lot of businessmen attending that could benefit Uchiha Corp.'s image."

Sasuke thought about it. Shisui did have a point, even though he didn't want to admit it. He sighed. This was going to be troublesome.

_Glare._

"Fine. I'll go."

"…"

"What now?"

"Do you take anger management classes?

_Twitch._

* * *

"Umm…Hinata, are you sure about this?" Sakura asked her friend as they got out of the limo, wearing the dresses they bought earlier. "It seems as if only the businessmen and high-ups are allowed here." She glanced over at Neji who only returned an icy look. _He's the reason I'm asking…_

"Don't ..worry, Sakura. Everything..will be fine." Hinata reassured. Sakura gulped. She didn't know about that. Especially when she entered the huge commons room. It was designed for a banquet. People of every single high social class gathered inside. Extravagant desserts and drinks lined up one side of the wall with tables near. Fancy gowns and luxurious tuxes filled up the room. Men and women mingled with others dishing out corporate talks. Sakura listened in to some.

"_I hear your company is doing very well."_

"_Well, thank you. We're planning on opening more companies out west."_

How boring.

Hinata tugged at Sakura's arm.

"S..sorry, but I must go say 'hi' to the others with …Neji, first. Are you ok by yourself?" Hinata stuttered.

Ok? This place did not suit Sakura's taste. She'd have much more fun watching grass die. Then again… there was a lawn right outside…

Sakura smiled

"I'll be fine, Hinata. Go ahead."

Her friend smiled and walked away.

Sakura walked over to the drinks. She might as well do something while she was here…although the grass outside was getting to be more enticing. Perhaps that was when she saw him.

* * *

Sasuke stood off to the side of the room. The people in front of him were sickening. On the outside, they all looked nice and sincere. But on the inside, they were just plotting on the others' downfall. Corporate workers were fierce. This 'party' was more like a lion's den. And lucky Sasuke, he got to come.

He recognized every single person in the room. There were the Sabakus with their son, Gaara. They were a mysterious bunch. Then, there were the Aburames. They were probably the only ones here that were truly nice. Ahh, there goes the Hyuugas. And that cocky Neji. Sasuke looked behind the man. He had even brought his sister along. How sweet. Sasuke glared. Yeah right, Neji was not sweet. He was the head of the Hyuuga Industry. Otherwise known as, the rival to Uchiha Corp.

Sasuke's eyes trailed behind Hinata. And he was met with a pair of familiar yet startling emerald eyes. Emerald eyes…and _pink_ hair? Didn't she have auburn? Sasuke smirked. So that was a disguise, huh? But still, he never expected for her to have out of all the colors, _pink_ hair. This girl…was just an exception to human nature, he supposed. But…

He still couldn't believe it. What was she doing here? Why was she here? Well, it might work to his benefit. After all, he had been trying to locate her whereabouts the whole day. It was just his luck that she dared to show up in a place like this after stealing. Well, he didn't want to miss this opportunity. Sasuke began walking towards the pink haired girl.

Closer and closer. He couldn't help but realize that she did look stunning. The aquamarine dress complimented her body quite nicely. More so than most of the other women's dresses in the room. That brings him to another fact. Not just anyone can come to this gathering. So that must mean that this girl had an acquaintance here. Just how many surprises did she have anyway? Then, he noticed the slight ripple in her dress as she turned around.

He noticed her mouth open in a surprised fashion.

He noticed her bright emerald eyes staring directly into his.

And he noticed that he was lost inside of them.

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe her luck. Why in the world did this happen to her? And why in the world did she not anticipate it? And now, because she didn't see him before he saw her, she was stuck between a refreshment table and a stoic man.

No way of getting out.

Sakura sighed. This was a cruel game heaven was playing on her. It was worse enough that she was ordered to steal from a super hot man…wait plus a brother, ok, two super hot _men_. But now, she was faced with one of them right after the mission! Dating him was totally out of the question now. Another sigh. How cruel…

The worst part of it was…she knew that he recognized her. Maybe it was because of the twinkle in his eye.

Maybe it was because it looked like he had caught his prey.

Maybe because of his smirk.

Or…maybe it was because he caught her arm when she tried to walk away.

How cruel indeed…

Sakura looked at him and growled quietly. His amused onyx eyes quickly turned cold and were tinted with anger.

"What do you want?" Sakura practically snarled. The sooner she got out of this situation, the better. The man's grip tightened around her wrist.

"I want the blueprint back." Sasuke paused looking at Sakura's expression, which was a mixture of frustration, and if you looked real closely, a _tad_ bit of a nervous look. She was going to deny it. "I know you have it. You won't get away this time." Sasuke cut her off before she could. The girl snorted.

"Get away? You mean like how I got away with it _last_ time?" Sakura knew she was playing with fire right now, but she was too caught up in the moment to care. Blame it on her stubbornness. It didn't matter how she acted towards him anymore. After all, the mission was completed. Even though, she was found out, she might as well fight until the very end.

Sasuke gave her an icy glare. Her comment had hurt his male pride.

Hurt it very harshly.

And there was nothing Sasuke found more important to him than his male pride. He was the heir to a prestigious company for heavens sake! There was absolutely no way he would fall down to her standards.

"What now? Cat got your tongue?" The girl teased again.

Nevermind. This girl was going to get it.

"Maybe you won't be so snide as you are now when I tell security to lock you up."

"You wouldn't dare…"

"I would and I will."

Sakura's eyes flashed with anger. There was no way she was going to get caught. Absolutely no way. She would make sure she got out of this situation. Not even a man like Sasuke could stop her. A smokin', fine, hot, god-like man…not even him.

It was at this time that the heavens took pity upon the pink haired girl. And they sent her Hinata.

Sakura saw her best friend walk up behind Sasuke and mentally sighed in relief. She was saved.

"Umm…excuse me, but my brother would like to speak to you…for a second, Mr. Uchiha." The girl spoke quietly.

Way to go, Hinata! Sakura inwardly cheered.

Sasuke muttered a curse under his breath. He glanced at the indignant girl by his side. Man, this was going to hurt his pride even more, but he let go of her. He let go and walked away.

* * *

Of course, Sasuke knew that Neji had not wanted to talk to him at all. He was smart enough to realize that the girl's friend had made up an excuse for him to go away. The only reason he had gone along with the lie was because there was absolutely no reason to bring the Hyuugas into this. They were already rivals. There didn't need to be more conflicts between the two companies.

Sasuke looked back right as the pink-haired girl walked away. He saw her escape from the room with her friend. And only one thought appeared.

_That was one fine dress._

* * *

Sakura sat up in bed the next morning. Her hair was in a tussle, and bags had formed underneath her eyes. Yesterday had taken a lot out of her. She groaned. Sakura had a feeling that the meetings with Sasuke will not end. And she had no clue how she'd escape from him a second time. Last night, she had Hinata who had sensed her distress. But what about the future? Sakura gritted her teeth. She had to find a way to deal with him.

But that was for later.

First, she had to get breakfast.

Sakura tiptoed across the room, being extra careful to not wake up her roommate whom she was deeply indebted to. She made her way towards the kitchen. A flashing light caught her eye. There was a voicemail on the phone. It must have been yesterday when she and Hinata left for the 'so called party'.

Sakura walked over and clicked on the flashing button.

A woman's voice flowed through.

"_Hello, this is for a Miss. Sakura Haruno. We are calling in regard to the dress that you rented yesterday. Please call back to us for information. Our number is xxx-xxxx."_

Quickly, Sakura jotted down the number, puzzled. Why were they calling her about the dress? She was going to return it in three days time. Wasn't that what the lady had told her to do?

She dialed the number she had written down. The same voice flowed through the phone.

_"Hello?"_

"Umm, hi. This is Sakura Haruno. I'm calling because your store left a message for me on my phone…" Her voice trailed off.

"_Oh yes, you were the one that rented the aquamarine dress, am I correct?"_

"Yes."

"_Well, we just called to inform you that there is no need for you to return that dress anymore."_ Sakura was confused. Was there something wrong with the dress?

"Why not?"

"_A person had already bought it for you."_

…

What?

"Do you know who it was?" It was 5000 for pete's sake! Who wanted to buy that for her? And who had that much spending cash anyway?

The lady replied.

"_Umm… it was a man. He came into our store and told us to take the payment and use his credit card. The funny thing was that…he didn't even know your name, but he described the dress perfectly. We even had to remind him of your name." _A chuckle was heard from the other line.

…

Sakura was speechless. This couldn't be happening.

"_He was quite attractive too. Your boyfriend, maybe? Wait, that's not right. He should know your name then, right?"_ Another chuckle.

Uh-oh.

Then a sound of rustling of papers was heard.

"_Ah, here it is. I found his name."_

Sakura waited. Her heart beating rapidly.

"What is it?"

_"Oh, it's …"_

…

"_Sasuke Uchiha."_

Sakura dropped the phone.

* * *

There you have it! The second chapter!

I figured I might as well do a little preview.

_Chapter Three: Knives and Daggers_

_Sakura walked down the street. She was really in a fix now. _

_Mr. 'I'm so fine' was just flinging out money to show off. Yes, that was right. Just showing-off. There was no other reason for him to pay 5000 dollars for her._

_Absolutely no reason. _

_But..._

_Sakura hated to be indebt. She had always believed to 'earn what she gets.'_

_And here comes Mr. 'I'm so rich, I can just give out money to my enemies without a care.' He just had to come by and smash her little motto._

_Sakura knew she was going to paying Hinata back, but that was simple. Hinata was her friend._

_Sasuke Uchiha was a being that seemed to be destined to torture her._

_Still..._

_Sakura couldn't just take 5000 dollars like that._

_So..._

_She found herself at the door of the Uchiha mansion._

What's going to happen next?

I have no clue! (But I'm working on it!) hehe...

**A/N**-- I know I put Shisui in here a little bit as a goofball, but I figured that it would be really cool since he's Itachi's best friend and yet completely different from the sadistic (yet lovable) man.

If you haven't realized it yet, I'm a big Itachi fan too.

Ok, enough rambling.

Just click on that little button. It will bring a smile to my face :)

**R&R**


	3. Knives and Daggers

Third chapter! Sorry for the delay. I would have updated sooner, but I just got a laptop so I'm working on that from now on. And a new Microsoft Word takes time to adjust to. For those that still care to read this, I thank you. Hopefully, my later updates will be sooner. I hate waiting to read stories, and I believe the feeling is mutual...well for the _most_ part for _most_ people. Anyways, 'nuff rambling and enjoy!

**Words:** 4770

**Disclaimer:** Wishful thinking.

* * *

**Chapter three—Knives and Daggers**

He _so_ did not do that.

Sakura couldn't believe it. She wasn't willing to believe it. Why would she believe it?

To think that the man that had tried to pick a fight with her the night before had paid for something. Had paid for something for _her_.

The very idea of it was absurd.

"_Umm…are you there?"_ The lady from the phone asked. Sakura realized that she was still on the line. Hastily, she picked the phone up and replied.

"Yes, yes. I'm still here. Well, uhh, thank you for calling. Bye." With that, Sakura ended the call. It was a bit rude of her to just hang up like that, but she had more suppressing matters in her head to deal with.

Now where was she again?

Oh right.

Why did he do that?!

* * *

Sasuke was having a fine time unlike the pink-haired girl. He knew that by now, she would have received a phone call. He also knew that she was probably pulling her hair out trying to figure out why he did what he did. Well, the answer was quite simple, actually.

He knew she would wonder about the situation.

He knew that if she wondered, she would want answers.

He was also aware of the fact that there was only one way for her to get answers.

And that was for her to come to him.

Sasuke smirked.

Oh yes. He had it all planned out. Just because she was saved by her friend last night didn't mean that she could be saved again. Judging from her behavior, Sasuke concluded that she was a girl that wouldn't accept "hand-outs." If he was right, which he probably was, then she would want to confront him about it. And then…he'll get _his_ answers.

She'll get _her_ pride.

Everything would work out.

If everything went according to plan, that is.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That girl had some unique trait about her that just twisted logic. She defied human nature. Just look at that pink hair and emerald eyes. He knew that she was a rarity among the world so he made sure that he was cautious. Sasuke was prepared. He knew the girl had a fiery temper. Well, it was more fun to mess with her that way.

Sasuke smirked. She wasn't going to win in this game.

He was going to make sure of that.

After all, he already had a crucial piece of information about her. That little visit to the shop came in handy in more than one way.

The man looked down at a piece of paper that lay in front of him.

There were two words scrawled on it.

_Sakura Haruno._

* * *

After Sakura let off some frustrations, she decided that a walk might do good for her. A nice, calm, peaceful walk around the city. With the thought in mind, she slipped on her shoes and walked out of the apartment.

Just as she was about to take her first step in that relaxing walk that she imagined, her cell rang.

Growling, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Sakura, go to headquarters immediately." A stern voice flowed through the cell.

Then the line went dead.

Sakura sighed.

Did Tsunade have another mission for her? She would recognize the voice anywhere. And Sakura knew by the tone of her boss that something serious had happened.

Sakura mentally waved her "dream walk" bye-bye and made her way to headquarters.

It was really a hassle to go there. There were many precautions to take. Sakura walked to the side of a street, stopped, and then crossed. She made her way to a flower shop.

Not just any flower shop.

A Yamanaka flower shop.

AKA 'secret pathway.'

There were many of these stationed around the city. Ino's family owned this shop so it was quite natural that it was made into something beneficial to the spy agency. Some others were the Weapons Store a couple of blocks away, owned by Tenten's family, and the empty alley next to an old vintage store. Every spy was required to memorize the locations and proceed to them when needed to be transported to headquarters.

Sakura made her way inside the store and was instantly blasted by the sweet aroma of bouquets. If you just looked at the place, you would just think that it was a very nice and quiet flower shop. But if you go to the backroom, as Sakura did before she gave Ms. Yamanaka a look that told the woman everything, you would notice that there were quite a lot hidden behind the exterior of the shop. For example, there was a metal vault on one side. There were also plenty of electronic equipment littered on tables on the other side. This was natural for a spy family. The Yamanakas were in the business for a long time. And now, Ino had taken up the family job.

Speaking of her best friend…Sakura noticed the blonde girl next to the vault.

"Hey." She called out. The girl looked back and grinned.

"Wow, Tsunade called you too? Must be some kind of mission." Ino opened the lid of a regular looking air conditioning system. Instead, a little computer and a monitor flipped out. The girl placed her hand on the monitor and a blue light scanned it. With a click, the machine buzzed.

"Access Confirmed."

Then, the vault opened. It was a bit dark inside, but it was still seeable. Sakura followed Ino's actions and stepped inside the vault. The doors closed and locked themselves after she got in.

"It's quite unusual for us to have another mission so soon, though." Ino pondered. "What do you think happened?"

Sakura frowned.

"Nothing good."

The two girls began walking.

Two spies ready for what was coming up.

* * *

After a while, Sakura and Ino came up to a huge opening. An elevator stood before them. They stepped in and were carried towards the "hit room". They nicknamed it that since that was where everything was thrown at them. Everything about their mission, where they'd be going, and whom they would be working with. It was the briefing room.

Once they entered, they were met with Tenten, Shikamaru, Kiba, Asuma, and Kurenai. Kiba was with his dog, Akamaru. His dog was rather big. Rather large. They were spies, both him and his dog as a team, but that didn't mean that they weren't loud. Because they were, they were _very_ loud. Asuma and Kurenai were instructors and were on a slightly higher level than the rest of them. They were also a couple of years older. To have the two of them in the room troubled Sakura. What had happened?

Tsunade stood at the other side of the room. She gestured for the group to move closer towards her.

"I have some news for all of you."She turned to all of them.

Everyone remained alert and solemn.

"What happened?" Kurenai questioned.

"The mission that was recently completed by Tenten, Sakura, and Ino will be postponed."

"What do you mean?" This time, it was Ino who spoke. "We already completed the mission. How will it be postponed?"

Tsunade sighed. "Orochimaru has been acting suspicious lately. The mission has been completed, yes. But, I have yet to deliver the document to him."

There was an audible gasp throughout the group. There was a sacred rule of spies. You do the job, and you don't question the employer. It was a sacred law. And yet, Tsunade had broken it. She didn't give the document to Orochimaru. Oh, if he knew… That would cause problems.

"What did he do?" Sakura asked.

"Our agency has detected some strange behavior from him. He has gathered a large number of followers, and his interest in the Uchihas' plot of land makes it hard to tell his next move." Tsunade paused and took a breath. "I know that spies have a duty to their employer, but I'm afraid that if Orochimaru really has some harmful plans in his head, then we shouldn't support him. So as of right now, this mission will be held at a standstill. The document is in my hands and will stay that way until further notice of Orochimaru's actions. Until we can confirm that they are harmless."

Sakura mentally scoffed. That man looked like a sick, twisted, dark man. Harmless wasn't in his dictionary, but she didn't voice her thoughts. There was no need. It wouldn't change anything. Plus, this type of precaution was quite unusual. No need to put the others more on edge.

Tsunade took a breath.

"No word of this to anyone. And no connection to the employer or any members of the Uchiha Corp. is allowed."

Sakura mentally gulped. Oh great. Now, she couldn't even pay that man back. But…the feeling was nagging at her. It was against the law of the agency.

It was her pride.

Well, which one would win?

* * *

After Tsunade had dismissed them, Sakura had walked back towards the Yamanaka Flower Shop with Ino. When they walked outside the store, Sakura parted ways.

She might have been a little fidgety. And darn the fact that Ino knew her so well.

Her friend grinned at her.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?"

Sakura pretended to be confused.

"What are you talking about?" She was answered by the roll of the eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Tsunade." And without giving Sakura a chance to explain, Ino left her friend as she went back inside the flower shop.

Sakura walked down the street. She was really in a fix now.

Mr. 'I'm so fine' was just flinging out money to show off. Yes, that was right. Just showing-off. There was no other reason for him to pay 5000 dollars for her.

Absolutely no reason.

But...

Sakura hated to be in debt. She had always believed to 'earn what she gets.'

And here comes Mr. 'I'm so rich, I can just give out money to my enemies without a care.' He just had to come by and smash her little motto.

Sakura knew she was going to paying Hinata back, but that was simple. Hinata was her friend.

Sasuke Uchiha was a being that seemed to be destined to torture her.

Still...

Sakura couldn't just take 5000 dollars like that.

So...

She found herself at the door of the Uchiha mansion.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting in the study, rubbing his temples. The mansion was a mess. Everyone was on edge…well, everyone except Itachi. No one could tell what went on in his mind. Sasuke had a feeling that Itachi was a _tad_ bit off too, but it might just be his imagination.

Sasuke sighed. He did have an upper hand in this situation. After all, he was aware of who the thief was. He knew that she would be lured to the mansion. But most importantly, he knew her name.

Sakura Haruno.

Such a simple yet distinctive name. Sakura as in cherry blossoms. With her pink hair and vibrant emerald eyes, they sure did resemble those spring flowers.

The youngest Uchiha shook his head. There was no time for him to contemplate about a name. He had to plan his next move. She would come soon. Very soon. He was sure about that. But now there was the question, what could he do? What _should_ he do? Confront her about it? Well, he already did. Should he arrest her? Nope, he'd need proof first. And he had a feeling that it would be harder than pulling out teeth for that girl to talk. Maybe he should just go with the fact that the girl felt inclined to owe him something. After all, he had paid for that dress. That stunning, tight fitting, elegant, complimenting…oh god. The chaos she created has gotten into his head. Sasuke groaned. What a little vixen…

* * *

Itachi was _patrolling_ the mansion. Actually, he was supposed to be looking out for the workers to try to determine if any had the slightest possibility to be the thief of the blueprint. That was his job according to his father. Of course, he didn't bother to mention that he already knew who was at fault. He didn't try to sway his father's suspicion of someone betraying the Uchiha Corp. There would be no use. Plus, he'd have to answer to the questions as to how he knew the thief and what not. Too troublesome. He'd rather just lay low and keep quiet about his knowledge. It was much easier to deal with. And did he mention, much more amusing?

Itachi was smart as most would already know. He knew how the girl would bring a breath of fresh air to the company. And well, to his brother. Itachi smirked. He knew that the girl already had an effect on the younger Uchiha. He could tell. Even though the change was quite subtle, Itachi noticed that Sasuke had become more quiet and thoughtful. Most workers thought it was because of the robbery, but Itachi knew better. His younger brother was thinking about that girl…and ok, he was _also_ thinking about the incident. But mostly about the girl.

The elder Uchiha smirked as he made his way down the hall. One of the many halls in the Uchiha mansion. Until things got even more interesting, he would just be hanging around, _patrolling_.

Well, more like, keeping any eye out for an _Akari Mao_.

But that was on the down low too.

* * *

Shisui was thinking that he had horrible luck. To be born in the Uchihas was considered an honor and privilege. He felt that it was punishment for his past life. After all, he was stuck with a cocky, smart, unresponsive Itachi. And then there was a smaller version of that except with a bigger ego and an explosive temper. Otherwise known as Sasuke. What a joy.

However, Shisui was also aware of their father, Mr. Fugaku Uchiha. Oh boy. As they say, the fruit never falls far from the tree. He really couldn't blame the two brothers for their attitudes. If you had a father like Fugaku, you'd probably go insane. Or run away.

Shisui didn't really talk to the head of the company, but he knew that he was about to retire. And one of the sons was expected to be the heir. Itachi had made it clear that he was not interested in the position in any way. That left Sasuke. So really, it was basically his future position. Shisui knew that the young Uchiha was under a lot of pressure, and that his temper was how he dealt with it. Even so…

He had done a favor for him! He had searched up an Akari Mao for Sasuke! His thanks were a death glare, a couple of yells, and chores.

Chores such as…

"Hello, may I see Mr. Sasuke Uchiha?" A girl with pink hair and shocking emerald eyes went up to him. Her eyes were questioning yet hopeful. She looked like she was preparing for a fight. Shisui deemed her harmless. Plus, even if she was going to fight, she was going in to see Sasuke. After what that Uchiha had done to him, Shisui figured he might as well send him a little "you're welcome" present. With a sly smile, he nodded.

"Welcome, please enter."

The girl said her thanks and walked through the large doors.

Shisui smirked. The pleasure was all his. After all, it was Sasuke's fault for giving Shisui the chore of guarding the main doors. His fault entirely.

* * *

Sakura entered the nostalgic Uchiha mansion. Geez, she didn't realize that she'd come back to this place so soon. This _expensive_ place.

At once, she noticed a change in the atmosphere. The once quiet mansion was now swarmed with workers rushing about. The hustle and bustle of a city had been reduced to the size of a mansion. Everyone was in a craze. Constantly moving. Sakura had barely stepped inside when she was pushed around by a little working man. She was shoved to the ground. The man stopped and hesitated before he bent down and helped Sakura up.

The girl huffed as she tried to regain her composure. After she was up, the man nervously rubbed his hands together. Sakura squinted her eyes at him. He was strangely familiar. Where had she seen him before?

"Umm..sorry about that. I was in a hurry." The man looked nervously behind his shoulders. Sakura was confused. He looked as if he was being chased.

"That's alright. But umm, are you ok?" The man looked as if he was about to faint. Or maybe he already fainted earlier. Either way, he looked like he was sick.

"I just need to get out of here….you see," the man cut himself off for a second. Suddenly, his face looked like he was about to burst with some hidden emotion. That was when Sakura realized who the man was. It was that nervous, clumsy businessman from the other day! The one that Sasuke had declined. What was his name again? She should know. After all, she was his _secretary_. It was uhh….oh yea, Mr. Yakamura!

Sakura was too absorbed in her inner cheer at remembering his name to realize that the man in front of her had sucked up a huge amount of breath. And he held it in.

For quite a long time.

Sakura stared at the strange man. What was he doing? And wasn't he talking a while ago?

The breath was slowly breathed out.

Then it was quiet.

And then…

"I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" The man yelled. Sakura was taken back at his remark. How could he become this loud? She noticed a couple of nearby workers stop what they were doing and look at the commotion. She realized that every eye was on them. Just great. But wait, the _shy, quiet, awkward_ man was not done.

"There were the questions! And glaring!" Mr. Yakamura stepped closer to Sakura. His hands waved crazily about. "It was a jury room! All three of them! The quietness was deafening! I didn't do it though, I told them that. They said they believed me. But who knows?! Maybe, I'll be dragged back so I can faint in front of them again. Or maybe they'd like to see a stain on that clean carpet of theirs!"Sakura stared, wide-eyed, as the man continued. Oh man. He lost it.

"And now, they're everywhere! And I've become a suspect. All I wanted was him to go to a promotion party! A stupid party! Was that too horrible? Look, all I know is… I didn't do it. I didn't do it. You believe me, don't you?" The man looked deeply in Sakura's eyes. He needed to be reassured. She understood that. After all, this man had just blown up in front of her. And…Sakura guiltily gulped, she was the cause of this little breakdown.

"It's not your fault. Don't worry. I believe you."

The man relaxed considerably. He heaved a huge sigh. With a quirky type of smile, he shook her hand.

"Thank you. Thank you." He gave her another little smile and he sauntered off. Just like that. He just walked out of the Uchiha mansion like nothing had happened.

Like no one had been staring at them.

Like he wasn't the cause of a certain Uchiha walking towards her.

Sakura cursed her luck. This wasn't exactly the Uchiha she was looking for since in front of her was an amused Itachi.

* * *

Was Itachi surprised?

Yes.

To think that the fidgety man had blown up was amusing enough. It made his rounds around the house very interesting. Maybe that was why the man was running. Hmm…oh well.

But now, he was face to face with the girl. That man had brought him to the girl. Itachi smirked. This was unexpected yet totally welcomed. Well, first things first.

"Everyone get back to your stations. There's nothing to see here." He issued the workers to go back to what they were doing. There would be no use for them to witness everything like it was a show. Only he could do that. Oh yea. Itachi knew he was a sadist.

"Now there. I do believe that we have met before." He gave her a quirk of his brows. One of the few expressions he had ever showed.

Sakura started fidgeting. What was she going to do now? Lie? Pretend to be that secretary again? After that display, she doubt people would actually believe that the man would ditch his own secretary. But then, Sakura realized that she didn't have her disguise on right now. She gently touched her hair. Yup. It was pink. Good, she was saved.

Then she saw his knowing eyes.

Damn these smart Uchihas.

Itachi smirked. Did she honestly believe that he didn't see right through her? Those eyes gave her away even if her hair color had changed. Maybe this was her natural shade? If so, then, Itachi sure hit the jackpot in amusement. Now, all he had to do was to keep up the act.

"I'm really quite sure that we have met before." He insisted.

"Umm…well, maybe. I've been in here before on business." Sakura spoke. She wasn't going say that she was Mr. Yakamura's secretary. She would just leave out some parts. After all, spies should be very good at this. And Sakura will be damned before some smart-alecky rich people hurt her reputation. Even if they were god like beings. Stupid good looks.

"Oh really? What kind of business?"

Persistent, wasn't he?

"Just the regular work issues. Nothing major."

Itachi smirked the third time.

She wasn't backing down either. What an interesting girl.

He figured that he shouldn't push her anymore. She would just come up with more excuses.

"Well, are you here today for more business?"

"Actually, I'm here to talk to Mr. Sasuke Uchiha. It is….business." _In a way_, Sakura added mentally.

"Why would my brother be of assistance to you?"

Note to self: Uchihas were pushy.

"Ahh, nothing to worry about. Just some problems to solve. Small problems." Sakura smiled. Okay, it was time to end this conversation now.

"Could you by chance tell me where he is?"

"I can do better."

Sakura arched an eyebrow.

"I can escort you there."

Oh yes. Uchihas were extremely pushy.

* * *

Sasuke swiveled in his leather chair. The study had become a room that he was strangely starting to get comfortable with. He practically spent his whole day in there nowadays. This was the site of the incident. And his hand periodically settled themselves under the desk in some hopeful way that the blueprint would reappear there.

He heard footsteps come closer to the door. Who could it be? He sat up straighter in his chair.

The door swung open.

Sasuke saw Itachi first.

_Glare._

Then he saw her.

_Smirk._

* * *

Sakura mentally sighed. These two brothers were really similar. They even had that same look. Sasuke's just had a unique tint in his eyes that scared Sakura of what would come in the future. He looked relaxed behind the desk yet sophisticated at the same time.

Itachi opened the door for her, and she stepped in.

"Sasuke, we have a guest. She needs to discuss some… _issues_ with you."

"I'm sure she does." Sakura really wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk off his model face.

"Okay then, I'll be leaving you two to discuss whatever you guys need to talk about." After giving Sasuke a look, he turned around, gave Sakura a wink, and then walked out the room. The door clicked close behind him.

"Well now, to what honor do I have to get this visit from you?"

"The honor of returning that 5000 bucks to the store."

"You don't like the dress?"

"That's not the point."

"Since when do _you_ get to the point? I believe that I was the one to ask about the robbery, and you were the one to avoid the subject."

Another note to self: Uchihas were snobby, rich, sly, sneaky, mind-bending, egoistic,…uhh, let's stop here.

"Why did you pay for me?"

"I felt like it."

"No, you wanted to tick me off."

"Ok, maybe that too."

"You're infuriating."

"You're a thief."

"Touché."

"I want my blueprint back."

"What makes you so sure I have it?"

"I'm not stupid."

"No, you're just annoying."

Now, Sasuke was getting aggravated. This girl was not cooperating. Not that he was planning on her to do so, but still, this conversation could go better.

Sakura wasn't on very nice terms right now either. She couldn't believe this guy! He had some nerve. Uchihas are a pain.

"Return the dress."

"No."

There was only one way left. Sakura gulped. She could see that glint in Sasuke's eyes. Oh boy. What was she going to get herself into?

"How about I pay you back?"

"Blueprint."

"You are deaf. I don't have it."

"Mhm. And I didn't pay for your dress."

Sakura was going to pull her hair out. He was not cooperating at all. And she was nice enough to offer to pay him back.

"I will pay you back."

"I will get the blueprint back."

Glare vs. Glare.

Then the look changed. On Sasuke's face, that is.

"I will allow you to pay me back…if you do something for me."

A pause.

"As long as you do something for me, _Ms. Sakura Haruno_." Sasuke repeated slyly.

Sakura growled. Of course, the lady at the store had given him her name. Just great. She was going to sock him.

"I swear…if you dare say anything about a blueprint…" Sakura was cut off.

"You must be my personal maid."

…

"Did you hit your head?"

"Do you want to pay me back?"

"Gah!"

"Intelligent response."

Sakura's eyes widened. He couldn't be serious. A maid? A _personal_ maid? But still…she couldn't owe him.

"…how long will it take?"

"A week."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Only a week? Was he letting her off easy? She took a look at him. Then again, a week may be too long.

"Fine."

Sasuke smirked. This was going well, finally. Her as his personal maid will bring him closer to getting back his document. She couldn't refuse his offer. He was sure of that. But now, she has sealed the deal.

"You're required to be here every morning from 6 am to 8 pm. Whatever I want, you do. Whatever I need, you get. No complaints. No getting out of the deal. You must act as a personal maid. With proper etiquette. No tardiness or deal's off. Am I clear?"

Sakura glared at him. Was he serious? Did he practice that speech? From 6 am to 8 pm? Did he think that she had no life? And besides, she was a spy. Now was an especially tough time with all the Orochimaru stuff going about in the agency. Plus, she wasn't even allowed to talk to him right now. Tsunade was on edge, and that made the rest of the spies careful too. She had no time catering to this man.

No time.

Yet…

"I hate you."

"Is that a yes?"

"It's a 'there's nothing left between us after this week'," Sakura clarified.

"Deal."

Sakura turned to leave. Once she was at the door. Sasuke called out for her.

"If you hand over the blueprint, I'll call off this deal."

Sakura glanced at him.

"No way."

"Well, I tried." Sasuke smirked.

Sakura turned back towards the door. She swung it open, and right before the door closed, she distinctively heard him again.

"See you tomorrow."

Sakura groaned.

What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Itachi smirked from around the corner of the hallway. Oh boy, things were getting interesting now.

* * *

Oh boy, now what's going to happen to poor Sakura?

Ha, spies, deceit, evil ancient man, cocky jerks, and money. What's better?

Again, sorry for the delay. It wasn't very long, yet I feel inclined to apologize. Ehh, it might just be me.

Like before, I will give another preview for the next chapter.

_Chapter Four: Dog eat Dog_

_Sakura groaned. What in the world has gotten into her lately? Betraying Tsunade was worse enough. But now, oh boy, now she was stuck as a maid._

_A maid for an insufferable man._

_Cross that out. Not a man. A torturer. A pain. A jerk. A ... well, use your imagination._

_Staying in this mansion was ok. The workers were nice._

_The building was nice._

_Everything would be tolerable if not for the fact that Sakura was, at the moment, wearing a maid outfit too short and frilly to be comfortable._

_It was quite small, and Sakura was beginning to think that Sasuke was a pervert._

_But there was nothing Sakura hated more than what came next..._

_"Sakura, you have to scrape the gum off my shoe now."_

_Twitch._

_He was dead._

Ok, finally done.

Please r&r


	4. Dog eat Dog

Thanks to all of your generous reviews, I was fully charged to write. Less than a week and another chapter! I do think i deserve a little applause (bows). ha, alrightie then, here you go! To all of my supporting readers.

**Words: **5964

**Disclaimer:** Nope. Not mine.

* * *

**Chapter Four—Dog eat Dog**

Sakura groaned as she strolled back to her apartment. This was doomsday. Wait, nope. Tomorrow would be doomsday. Wrong again. Tomorrow will be the start of _doomsweek._

Had the man any idea of the trouble he was causing her. Granted, she did steal something from him. But she wasn't lying when she was talking to him earlier. She really didn't have it. The document was in Tsunade's hands at the moment. Right. Sakura was not a liar. She just didn't tell the whole truth. It wouldn't hurt, would it?

With another groan, she reached her street. Maybe things will be better once she relaxes. Hinata might be waiting for her in the apartment. Thinking of her friend cheered Sakura up considerably. Yes, some girl time would do her good.

She entered the complex, and strolled over to the elevators. She waited for the doors to open and stepped in. After pressing the 6th floor button, she waited for it to ascend.

Now, this complex wasn't very extravagant. No polished floors nor elegant artwork. It was just an apartment building. However, it was an elevator. And one must never forget elevators even if it does belong in a low class building, they must always…well should always have…

Elevator music.

Now, Sakura wasn't quite fond of the tunes. But they would ease her nerves a bit. However, her trip up this time was not filled with the mellow music. Instead, she heard a voice. It was quite distinct and familiar. Sakura listened closely.

_Ding!_

She reached the 2nd floor. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

_Ding!_

3rd floor. Seriously, this voice was too familiar.

_Ding!_

4th floor. Boy, this person was loud.

_Ding!_

5th floor. Sakura heard a word that made her sweat. Wait, not _him_. She put her hands together and prayed.

"Please not him. Don't let it be him. Not now."

_Ding!_

6th floor. Sakura panicked.

"I gotta get out of here!" She jabbed her finger at the first floor button but was a bit too slow. The elevator doors had already opened, and low behold, in front of her was Naruto Uzumaki.

He immediately saw her. And right when the elevator doors were about to close again, he grabbed her out. Naruto missed the fact that Sakura was grumbling.

"I was so close….so close."

He turned to her and gave her one of those huge grins. The one where you'd be surprised at how his mouth could open so wide. His blonde hair was ruffled and his nonchalant behavior was a deep contrast to Sakura's moody one at the moment.

"Sakura!! I haven't seen you in forever!" He gave her a bear hug.

Sakura thought her face turned blue.

"You look great! Hey, want to go on a date?"

Apparently, Naruto liked the color blue.

Sakura sighed. Him asking her out was a daily thing when they were still teens. He never really expected a 'yes' from her. But there was only so much rejection a guy could take, Sakura knew that.

Naruto was her best friend. Just not really welcomed all the time. He was a bit on the noisy side. And he wasn't very bright either. But he had a big heart and was loyal, and Sakura was grateful for that. However, right now, Sakura wouldn't really have much use for his heart and loyalty. She needed girl time with Hinata. But now that Naruto was here, Sakura kissed her plans farewell.

Oh well, since when did her plans ever work out anyways?

The two of them walked towards the door of Sakura's apartment. Naruto had taken her silence as a 'no' to his question. With a wry smile, he followed her inside the room.

"Hinata? I'm back!" Sakura called out to her friend.

"Welcome back!" A response was heard. Hinata poked her head out from the kitchen. "I was just making…some…" Her eyes grew wide. Sakura could see her friend visibly gulp. It was understandable. After all, behind Sakura was Naruto.

Who was Hinata's longtime crush.

Sakura sighed. Hinata's shyness was even worse when it came to Naruto. However, the male was a bit slow to notice. Wait, cross out a bit. He was very slow to not notice anything. Since, the crush was quite obvious. And Hinata's fumbling with words and objects made it quite clear. But then again, it was Naruto. His mind functioned on daily ramen meals. What did you expect from a guy like that?

"Naruto is here for a visit. You don't have to make him anything." Sakura told her friend as she heard the male behind her protest.

"That's not fair, Sakura. I'm hungry too. Boy, I can go for anything right now even if it's not ramen!" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You came over to pig off of us?"

"I'd like to think that we're all very good friends… that share food…?" Naruto gave a hopeful grin. Sakura sighed.

"Fine, you can eat here. " She turned to Hinata who still was still in a slightly shocked mode. "Sorry to bother you, Hinata."

"Yea, sorry." Naruto piped in sheepishly. His hand scratched the back of his head.

Hinata smiled.

"It…it's no problem….Naruto." The said man bounded over to her.

"What are you making?" Hinata blushed at the close contact and replied.

Sakura smiled inwardly and went to her room. It was time for her to leave the two lovebirds alone. Well one obvious lovebird, and one oblivious lovebird. But still, same difference.

She closed the door behind her and plopped down on her bed. No girl time. No dream walk.

Personal maid. Loudmouth best friend. Flirting in the kitchen.

That's what she gets. This sucked. A lot.

Without another thought, she drifted off to sleep. Her body had shut down.

* * *

Sasuke smirked. Things were doing ok. Not entirely according to plan, but he could improvise. After all, he had that little vixen working for him for a whole week. All he had to do was make her go through some harsh work, and she'll crack and hand over the blueprint. Well, that is if everything goes smoothly. He already had a feeling that things weren't going to be easy, but Uchihas don't give up. Especially not to hot headed pink haired girls. No way.

Sasuke was, dare he say, slightly anticipating the next day? Well, in a way. He had a maid to tend to him. Basically everything was in his favor so far. All he had to do now was wait for the perfect moment. The moment for him to strike and snatch back what was rightfully his.

"Sasuke?" Shisui's head popped up from behind the study door. He had finally finished his "chores" and decided to pay his "boss" whom he liked to call "hot-tempered ice cube" a little visit. The girl had left a while ago, and judging from her mood, she wasn't happy. Which to Shisui registered as Sasuke doing something wrong. Shisui was hopeful that perhaps his "boss" had gotten a little smack here or there…well, actually a beating would have been fine too. The girl did look vicious after all.

But when he laid his eyes on the younger Uchiha, Shisui was a bit disappointed. Okay, very disappointed. Why wasn't Sasuke supporting a bruise? What about scratches? A ruffle in clothing? Anything?

"Do you need anything?" Came the _perfectly fine_ man's voice.

"Yea..you getting hit…." Shisui muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh no, nothing at all."

"Then would you mind leaving?"

Shisui rolled his eyes. That kid really needed to get that stick out of his …well, you know where.

"Yes, your majesty. Would you like it if I licked the floor you walked on as well?" Oops. That wasn't supposed to come out.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and then smirked.

"It seems you have a lot of free time."

Shisui visibly gulped. Oh no. Not again.

"Would you like some chores?"

Shisui could have sworn Sasuke was laughing evily inside. Behind those dark eyes and arrogant smirk, he was fairly sure that his cousin was possessed. Possessed by a chore giving devil. Oh yes. There was such a thing.

"I think the hallway needs some dusting."

No way. That was for the maids! Shisui opened his mouth to protest.

"And the paintings could use some dusting too."

Oh no. Shut the mouth before the chore giving devil decides to make him clean up the whole city.

"I'll get to it now."

With a dash, Shisui rushed out of the room. He closed the door behind him. With a heavy sigh, he slumped against the door. This was embarrassing. He was 7 years older than him for heaven's sake! But then again, Shisui glanced back at the door that separated him and the younger Uchiha. He sighed and began to walk away. But then again, he was dealing with a hot-tempered ice cube that was possessed by a chore giving devil. Who could compete with that?

Now, there's another issue. Wait, make that two issues.

One. Itachi was going to have a field day if he found out what Shisui has been resorted to do. How embarrassing.

Two. Where in the world was the duster?

* * *

Sakura woke up. She turned to look at her alarm clock. What was the time? Groggily, she stretched out her sore arm and turned the clock towards her. She blinked her eyes trying to focus. Wow. She must really be half asleep. That little digit looks like a 5. Ha! She only slept 3 hours. That was pretty good considering the fact of how tired she was.

Sakura stood up and stretched. After fixing her hair, she stepped out of her room. That was strange. The apartment was quiet. Maybe Naruto left?

She walked over to the kitchen. No one. Did Hinata leave too?

Sakura made her way to her friend's room. Quietly, she creaked open the door. She spotted Hinata's body on the bed, breathing steadily. Oh, she was asleep. Wasn't a bit too early for bedtime? Shrugging it off, Sakura quietly closed the door and made her way to the main room. Let's see what's on tv.

She was about to sit on the couch when she felt it slightly move beneath her. With a gasp, Sakura jumped up and found a sleeping Naruto dozing off. What in the world was going on? It was only 5! Why was everyone asleep?

Puzzled, Sakura found the remote and turned on the tv. Now to see some people that won't be asleep.

After a while, Sakura settled for a news channel. There was nothing else good on anyways.

A man popped up on the screen.

"Good morning everyone. Here are the news for all those early birds." Sakura blinked.

Morning? Early birds?

She dashed over to the digital clock on the kitchen counter. She couldn't believe that red digital light.

5:45 a.m?!

What did it mean a.m? How could it be the morning already? Sakura slouched on a nearby couch. A couch that wasn't occupied by her loudmouth friend. She had slept right through the entire day. And now, it was morning. Precisely 5:45…wait, nope, 5:46 now. She really must have been tired.

Groaning, Sakura made herself sink inside the couch. Maybe it could eat her up. Waking up near 6 was too early for her. 6…hmm, that reminded her of something. But what?

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows as she thought hard. What had she done yesterday? Tsunade briefing, Orochimaru being evil, going to Uchiha mansion, …wait that was it.

Sakura's eyes snapped open as she stared at her clock.

"Aw crap!"

* * *

Sasuke waited patiently for that fiery new maid. She should be arriving shortly. With a glance to his watch, well, his alligator leather watch that is, he saw that it was almost 6. Five more minutes left. He smirked. She better not be late.

* * *

Itachi noticed a change in the atmosphere in the morning. More precisely a change in his brother's attitude. The younger Uchiha was waiting for something. Anticipating. Now, there's only one thing that could make Sasuke amused. Itachi smirked. He walked towards the study's hallway. He'd be watching when the visitor comes. After all, how could he miss the show?

* * *

Sasuke looked back at his watch. One more minute. Oh boy, she better get here. As if on cue, the study door burst open. In came a panting Sakura.

"Welcome." He received a glare.

"You just had to pick 6 in the morning."

"Don't blame me that you're lazy."

"I am not! Girls need their rest."

"Well, nice of you to cut off your beauty sleep."

"As if I had a choice." Mumbled Sakura. She earned smirks. One from the man in front of her. And one from a man that was listening to the conversation from across the hallway.

Sasuke crossed the room and stood directly in front of the now composed girl. He looked at her, and Sakura could have sworn that she saw a blinking sign that read 'Danger!' pop up.

"Your uniform is in the bathroom. After you change, I will give you instructions on your task for today." Sakura arched an eyebrow.

"You said nothing about an uniform."

"Now I have."

Sakura huffed.

"That's not fair! Not part of our plan at all."

"Do you want to owe me for the rest of your life?"

"Damn you Uchiha."

"Why, thank you. The bathroom's on your right across the hallway." Sakura gave him the most deadly glare she could muster and stormed off, leaving an amused Sasuke in the room.

The pink haired girl stepped inside the clean bathroom. A clean large shiny bathroom. One with a certain revolting costume hanging on the towel pole. Sakura's eye twitched. He wanted her to actually wear a maid uniform?

She grabbed the dress and held it in her hands. It was quite short, and she could really do without the little frills on the side. It looked a bit extravagant, and way too girly for Sakura's taste. With a sigh, she swallowed her pride and took off her clothes and slipped on the uniform.

This better be worth it.

She stepped out with her changed clothes in her hands. Nervously, she tempted to stretch out the dress by pulling on the bottom. The thing was too short, and it cut across her thigh. Sasuke walked out from the study and met up with her. He motioned for a nearby maid to pick up Sakura's clothes for her and deposit them in a bag for her to get when the day was over. Sakura hesitantly handed over her garments.

Sasuke's eye twinkled. He really wasn't going to give her an uniform to wear, but when his eyes landed on _that_. Well, let's just say, he wanted to see how far her pride will go. Many people might view his action as perverted. He merely thought of it as part of his plan of making her crack. Well, the view of her legs wasn't bad, but it wasn't his intention to study her body. Getting back the blueprint came first, but during the process, it wouldn't hurt for him to have a nice scenery.

Sakura could see Sasuke examining her in the costume. She growled.

"Get your eyes to my face, you pervert." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He had his pride too. And no matter what goes on in his mind, he refused to be downgraded to be called a pervert. He was an heir. Someone in the upper class. No way was he going to be some sort of lowly human that looked at women for entertainment.

"Ready for your first job?"

"Nope, but you don't care about that."

Sasuke smirked. She was getting the hang of things around here.

"First things first, get me my coffee." Sakura twitched, but nonetheless, she obeyed. She followed his directions to the kitchen, which was precisely two hallways, one elevator, and then one right turn away from the study.

Sakura searched for the coffee maker. Alright, here she goes. After a couple of minutes, Sakura had brewed a cup of hot steaming coffee. Boy, she would like to have some right now. With a shake of her head, she carefully balanced the hot cup in her hands. Every now and then, she would switch hands to avoid burning her fingers. Then she proceeded down one left turn, one elevator, and two hallways back to the study where she found Sasuke sitting calmly at the desk rifling through some papers. He was actually working? The thought of it seemed absurd to Sakura for some reason. Then she shook the thought away. Of course he'd work. The Uchiha Corp. would be in his hands sooner or later, after all.

She settled the hot cup down on the desk with a thump, making sure that he noticed since he didn't look at her when she came into the room. The thump worked. Sasuke glanced at the coffee uninterestedly and looked back at the papers.

"I like dark coffee. This is regular. Go back and make me what I like." He said crisply. Sakura stared at him incredulously. All that walking and burning for this?

"No way!"

"_Sakura…_" Sasuke slurred out, still not looking at her. With a growl, she stormed out of the room. This time, she walked a bit faster than the last time to the kitchen. She made the coffee with a bit more force, and she didn't care so much that the coffee was scalding her hands.

Once again, she thumped the cup on the desk next to the last cup that was left untouched. And again, Sasuke didn't look at her. He merely turned his gaze to the coffee and went back to the papers. Sakura growled. Don't he dare say…

"I need two spoons of sugar in there. And add some cream."

Damn him!

Sakura let out a strangled snarl, and this time stormed out of the room like a mad woman. This will be the last time.

Sakura made it to the kitchen. She nearly broke the coffee maker. After a bit of fumbling, she came across the sugar and practically dumped half of the bag inside the cup. Then she took the cream and added another big dose. Ha! Let him drink that! Sakura took the cup and was practically certain that blisters had grown on her hands. She stalked inside the study and slammed the cup on the desk so hard that the whole desk rattled.

Sasuke glared at her.

Finally, one look!

Then he went back to his work. He sniffed at his new coffee and after deeming it what he liked, he took a small sip and nearly spit it out. What did she do to it? Dump every sugary thing inside it? Sasuke saw the satisfied look on his new maid and mentally scowled. Time for her to do a new task.

"How do you like the coffee, Uchiha?" Sakura teased. Sasuke didn't answer. He merely looked at the girl.

"Your next task is for you to deliver these papers to the workers throughout the mansion."

"But..I don't even know anyone working here!" He smirked.

"Well then, this would be a nice time for you to use that brain of yours." With that, he dumped a stack of papers that would rival the weight of two dictionaries. Sasuke handed her a list.

"This is for all the people that need to receive these. Don't give them to the wrong person, and make sure all of the people on this list are checked off. Don't mess this up." Sakura huffed and walked out. He was doing this on purpose. Torturing and downgrading her. Well, she would not quit out of the deal. No way. Her pride was too strong for her to give up. With newly rejuvenated determination, Sakura walked down the hallway in hopes of finding workers on her list.

* * *

Itachi watched a disgruntled girl walk away from the study. Oh yes, he had watched the whole thing, heard every single word, and he had developed a _slight _pity for the girl. Slight being the keyword. He made his way into the study, and knocked on the door to make Sasuke acknowledge his presence. Itachi received a scowl.

"What do you want?"

"I saw what happened."

"So?"

"You really _are_ my brother."

"Don't disgust me." Itachi smirked.

"You know, you really are pushing her to her limits."

"That's the only way for me to get back the blueprint."

"I think you like having her around."

"And I think you belong in some mental institute, but just by thinking these things doesn't mean that they're true."

Itachi shook his head. Sasuke was as stubborn as ever. Well, if that was the way he wanted to be, Itachi had no problem with that. After all, having a dull brother was no fun.

He glanced at the three cups of coffee on the desk. Two of them were full, the other one was empty. Itachi smirked as he got a cup of dark coffee, leaving behind the sugar contaminated cup.

"You drank all of the regular."

"What's your point? I like regular."

With a sip of his drink, Itachi began to walk away.

"We really are related."

"I'm not as sadistic as you."

"Riight, as if making a poor girl run along even though she had already done the right thing the first time is not sadistic." Itachi grabbed the door before he glanced back. Sasuke met his gaze.

"What?"

"Have fun."

* * *

Sakura was in a fix. She had delivered most of the papers already. The workers here were very kind, or they might have just pitied her situation and helped her out. Either way was fine. As long as she got the job done. Sakura roamed down the fifth hallway. Two more papers left. Okay, almost done.

With a sigh, she walked around the corner and smacked right into…a muscular torso…of a statue. A stupid statue. Sakura stepped back and rubbed her nose. Great, even the statues were against her. She looked at the piece of art in front of her eyes. It was a nice statue of a man. If it had been in an art museum, she would have appreciated it more. But now, she saw it as an obstacle that wanted to stall her from finishing the task at hand.

"Are you alright?" Sakura heard a voice behind her. A dark haired man glanced at her worriedly. She recognized him as the guard at the main entrance of the Uchiha mansion from the other day.

Shisui looked at the girl from yesterday and was slightly worried. Yesterday she looked ready to be in a fight. Today, she was dressed in a maid costume and bumped into a statue. Ahh, this must be the work of Sasuke.

"Yes, I'm umm alright." Sakura replied with a slight laugh. She must be a sight. A crazy girl dressed for Halloween and liked to be up close and personal with inanimate objects. Great first impression. Well, second impression.

"That's good to hear." Shisui chuckled. What a funny girl. "I'm Shisui Uchiha." Sakura gasped.

"You're related to _him_?"

Shisui noticed the implication. With a grim smile, he nodded.

"I'm Sasuke's cousin. Don't worry, I'm not at all like him. Or else, I'd never look at myself in the mirror." That earned a laugh from the girl.

"I'm Sakura. Currently a maid for Sasuke…" She replied dryly.

"Ah, sounds fun."

"You have no idea. I'm stuck trying to find these two people so I can hand them these papers." Shisui looked at the documents in her hand. With a smile, he grasped them from her.

"I'll give these to them. Don't worry about it." Sakura gave him a big grin.

"You really aren't like Sasuke!"

"Told ya."

"You have no idea how glad I am to know that."

"That makes the two of us."

* * *

Sasuke was quite surprised when Sakura came back to the study with a smile on her face. What made her happy? He had been expecting her glare and scowl. This expression, he wasn't so used to. She looked nice when she wasn't trying to bite his head off. He caught her careless expression. Nice indeed.

Sakura looked at him. She felt light. After meeting Shisui, she felt more at ease at knowing how not every Uchiha was like the one in front of her. She could take what he dished out to her. No problem. Well, that's what she thought before he opened that mouth.

"Are you drunk?"

…

_Twitch._

"No. I am not drunk." Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"Hn." Sasuke looked back at his work laid in front of him. "Stand to the side for a while. And don't talk." Sakura narrowed her eyes at him but obeyed his command. Was he implying that she talked too much? Oh, he has seen nothing yet.

Sakura let herself slump against the bookshelf. She tugged at her uniform in hope of lengthening it. Sakura groaned. What in the world has gotten into her lately? Betraying Tsunade was worse enough. But now, oh boy, now she was stuck as a maid.

A maid for an insufferable man.

Cross that out. Not a man. A torturer. A pain. A jerk. A ... well, use your imagination.

Staying in this mansion was ok. The workers were nice.

The building was nice.

Everything would be tolerable if not for the fact that Sakura was, at the moment, wearing a maid outfit too short and frilly to be comfortable.

It was quite small, and Sakura was beginning to think that Sasuke was a pervert.

But there was nothing Sakura hated more than what came next...

"Sakura, you have to scrape the gum off my shoe now."

_Twitch._

He was dead.

She stalked over to the desk and grasped it firmly. The cup of coffee that was filled with "high juice" wobbled slightly, and a bit of the liquid got onto the desk. Thankfully, none of it got onto the papers. Sasuke looked at the girl impatiently.

"Clean it up."

"No."

"You're the maid."

"I know." Sakura managed to get out through teeth.

"A deal's a deal."

"I'm taking a break."

"The gum on my shoe waits for no one. And I need it off now."

With a grunt, Sakura crouched down and yanked Sasuke's shoe right off his foot.

"There, it's off." Sakura gave him a sinister smile and twirled his expensive leather shoe on one finger.

Sasuke growled.

"Give me my shoe back."

"Make me."

That was it. Sasuke made a deep noise from the back of his throat as he lurched forward and grabbed Sakura's arm. With a twist, he maneuvered the hand with the shoe closer to him. Sakura was a bit surprised at his quick movement but quickly recovered. Using her trained spy skills, she managed to flip over Sasuke's arm that was holding her own limb. That way, her arm wasn't at an awkward angle. Sasuke was surprised at her flexibility.

Sakura used her free hand to hold Sasuke's arm as she crouched down low. Sasuke grasped her arm harder and tried to yank her up. With a grunt, he shoved her against him so that her back was against his torso. One of her arms was still in his grasp while the other held the shoe as far away from him as possible.

Sasuke breathed against her neck.

"That was quite some moves you got there." Sakura mentally cursed for getting into this hold. Her spy reputation was going down the drain.

"You haven't seen nothing yet."

"I'm sure I haven't. You are full of mysteries, _Sa-ku-ra_." Unconsciously, Sasuke nuzzled his head into her hair. She smelled of strawberries.

Sakura felt the movement and tensed.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to return my shoe."

Sakura looked at her other hand which had the article dangling from her fingers. She double checked her current position with the Uchiha. Just great.

"Fine. I'll hand it over to you. But you need to let go of me."

"Hand it over first."

Sakura moved slowly as she bent her arm so that the shoe came closer to Sasuke's reach. His hand reached for it, and at that moment, his grasp on her loosened a bit. Sakura took the chance and snapped out of his grasp with a quick turn. Once she was a good distance away from him, she threw back the shoe.

"There you go."

Sasuke caught the shoe and put it on. He was quite shocked, inwardly of course, at her actions. Her movements were fluid and in sync. It was obvious that she had years of training. But what did she do? His eyes met her confident, accomplished emerald orbs, and he realized that she was not an ordinary robber. She was not an ordinary person for that matter.

She was hiding something. Something big. A secret that was meant to be kept hidden. Sasuke smirked. A secret he was going to find out.

"You're done for the day."

Sakura gaped at him.

"It's only 5. I have 3 more hours left."

"You want to stay?"

"No." Came Sakura's immediate reply.

"Didn't think so, and don't think you're done being the maid. All I meant was that you can leave the mansion. I need you to pick up some dry cleaning along the way." Sasuke smirked. That was a chore he had saved for Shisui, but she could do it too. Besides, at the moment, he needed time to think.

"Fine." Sakura got the instructions and without another word, left the Uchiha mansion. There was no way she would stay in there any longer than necessary.

* * *

Sasuke sat at his desk. He was contemplating on his course of action. He knew he was dealing with something that really shouldn't be messed with. Sakura was a fighter. She stole the blueprint for a purpose. And Sasuke didn't think that the purpose was for Sakura. No, he believed that she was working for someone. Why would she want a blueprint anyways? So there was definitely an employer. Now, it was time to think of who would want it.

Of course, there were many Uchiha Corp. rivals. But none crossed Sasuke's mind as to stoop this low to steal the document.

At that moment, the study door opened again.

In came a man that Sasuke couldn't stand.

"What do you want, Kabuto?"

* * *

It wasn't until when Sakura actually got to the dry cleaning that she noticed that she was still clad in the maid uniform. How embarrassing. She tried to cover up her face as she made her way to the front desk. The lady arched an eyebrow at her.

"Whose clothes are you picking up for?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

She heard a appreciative whistle from one of the men inside the store. Gross. This uniform has got to come off.

The lady behind the counter gave her a plastic bag with a suit inside.

"There you go. And honey, the next time you come out, you should probably change your outfit." Sakura quickly said her thanks and rushed out of the store. That was the last time she would show her face there.

Making a quick U-turn, she drove back to Uchiha mansion. Her regular clothes awaited her.

* * *

"I asked you a question." Sasuke was not a patient man. Especially not to somebody that had once backstabbed the Uchiha Corp. by working at a different company.

"I thought you might be glad to see me." The silvery haired male smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You thought wrong."

"Well, I just thought that you needed some support since the _incident_." Kabuto said slyly.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The robbery didn't even leak out to the reporters yet. How did he know?

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"On the contrary, I'm quite sure you do." Another smile. "Would you like for me to clarify for you?"

What was he planning? Sasuke glared.

"You have no right to be here. It's a wonder how you have the guts to show up in my mansion again."

"It's not _your_ mansion, _yet_."

"But soon it will be."

The two men faced off in the room.

And that was when Sakura decided to barge in.

"Give me back my clothes, damn it!" Then she noticed the visitor. Oh crap. Another great first impression.

Kabuto eyed the fiery girl in the short maid uniform.

"Is this what you do now?" He turned back to Sasuke. "Do you _play_ with little girls?"

Sasuke growled, and he wasn't surprised to hear Sakura matching the sound.

"Well, I suppose I must take my leave now. I will see you soon, Sasuke." The man eyed Sasuke with a smirk, and then turned to Sakura. There was a glint in his eye. Something close to recognizing Sakura. But that was impossible. She didn't know him.

Sasuke saw the look on the man's face, and he narrowed his eyes. Kabuto definitely knew Sakura. He turned his gaze towards the girl. She looked as if she didn't know him. Acting?

"Well now, I'm pretty sure _we'll_ meet again too." Kabuto spoke to Sakura before he left the room, leaving the two people in silence.

"Who was that guy?" Sakura questioned Sasuke. He studied her. It was either she really didn't know him, or she really was really good at acting. He better be careful.

"Someone from my past."

"He didn't seem to like you."

"Not many people do."

"I can understand that." Sakura grinned. She just needed to tease him whenever she got the chance. It was too fun annoying the heck out of him.

"Your clothes are in the corner." Sasuke replied simply. He motioned next to the door. Sakura recognized the bag from before. She grabbed it, and turned to leave.

"I'm going to use the bathroom to change." She looked back. "No peeking."

_Glare._

That was what she was aiming for. Sakura walked across the hallway.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, she came out in her regular outfit, t-shirt and jeans. After handing the maid outfit back to Sasuke, she turned around to leave.

"Who are you?" Sasuke spoke out before she could take a step.

"No one you need to be concerned about." Sakura replied without looking at him. Her back was still facing him.

"Who said I was concerned?" Sasuke knew she had a smile on her face at that moment.

"Assumption."

"Assuming is bad."

"Whoever said I was good?" With that, Sakura took off. She left Sasuke staring after her.

He looked at her retreating back.

"Yea…no one ever said you were good…"

* * *

Whooshh! There we are. I was on a roll!

**A/N:** There will be no ShisuiSakura. He is just acting nice to her because I can't have everyone in the Uchiha family as stoic and mean ones. Sakura and Shisui are strictly friends, and he will kind of keep her sane in this story. That's all.

Preview for the next chapter:

_Chapter Five: Suspicions_

_Sasuke sat down at his desk and ruffled through the papers._

_Notes, pictures, names, and memos littered the space in front of him. _

_He glanced over at everything. _

_The picture of her shopping._

_The address of her apartment._

_The name of her roommate._

_Yes, the power of Uchihas were scary._

_But in order to get back the blueprint, Sasuke knew these things must be done. Even if they did resemble stalker tactics._

_Now all he was left with were three names._

_He glanced at them._

_Tenten, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuuga._

_Time to pay some visits._

Okay! You know the drill. r&r


	5. Suspicions

I really am on some sorta roll. Three chapters in less than a week! I doubt my future updates will be this fast, but for the moment. Yippee me!Once again, thanx for all the generous reviews. They really keep me going. (ex. look at how fast my updates are!)

**A/N: **I don't really put notes on top, but I'll do it this time. I've decided to start writing a new Naruto fic. There are some summaries of the upcoming fics I have in mind on my pro. Please take my poll, and help me decide which one to start on.

Ok. Now, here you are!

**Words: **6442

**Disclaimer: **Only own the humor, fluff, words, and occasional grammar mistake in this.

* * *

**Chapter Five—Suspicions**

Sasuke was in a pretty bad mood at the moment. First, an unwanted visitor shows up and claims that he knows about the robbery. Secondly, he seems to know Sakura. Thirdly, Sakura is working for someone and is not an ordinary girl. With moves like that, Sasuke supposed she had years of training.

A background check on Sakura would help. But he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to find much. Without another thought, Sasuke picked up the phone and called his cousin. He'd be glad for another chore.

* * *

Shisui was whistling down the hallways of the Uchiha mansion. His mood was quite happy even if he was stuck in a place where he'd rather not be in. He waved to the workers he knew, and he sauntered around the mansion. However, he was extra careful to not tread on the hallway outside of the study. There was a certain person he'd like to avoid.

Shisui was knocked out of his daze when his cell phone rang. Quickly he looked at the number and groaned.

Did the man ever hear of a break?

But nonetheless, Sasuke was his cousin, and he was the heir to the Uchiha Corp. Therefore, Shisui had to answer even though his hand was trembling with the want to throw the cell out the window.

"Hello. What a _pleasure_ to hear from you…._again_." Shisui greeted sweetly.

"What's wrong with you?" Came the stoic reply.

"Oh, nothing…" _You're what's wrong with me_. Shisui thought to himself.

"I have a job for you."

"Now there's a surprise…"

"..I need you to get information about a person. You may get helpers or whatever else you need to gather the whereabouts, friends, and anything else you can find on the person."

Shisui furrowed his eyebrows. Again with the searching. However, this time, he had a feeling that Sasuke was anxious to get the news. Something big must have happened.

"Who's the person?"

"…Sakura Haruno."

Shisui blanched. Not that sweet girl. What did she have anything to do with Sasuke. Okay, maybe they weren't on the best terms, but that didn't mean Sasuke could just stalk the girl.

"May I ask why her?"

There was a pause.

"She is the lead suspect in the blueprint robbery."

Shisui almost dropped his cell.

That's why she was here in the Uchiha mansion so often? Because she was being questioned by Sasuke? Well, that didn't add up. Especially since she had been wearing a maid costume earlier. But then again, Sasuke had weird ways of trying to make people talk. Still, the girl seemed too nice and sweet to steal.

"Looks are deceiving." Sasuke's voice came across the cell.

Shisui's hand grasped his phone tighter. How did the man even know what he was thinking?

"I'm smart." The stoic voice replied again.

"Shut up!"

"Do the job."

"…Fine."

_Click._

The line went dead. Shisui heaved a big sigh.

This wasn't going to turn out good.

* * *

Sakura practically jumped up and down in happiness when she saw Hinata and Naruto in her apartment. They had been talking about something along the lines of 'ramen.' Actually, Naruto was doing the talking, and Hinata was taking care of the listening and blushing department.

"Hello you guys! You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Sakura sang out as she waltzed over to her confused friends. She gave both of them a big hug.

"Aren't you so glad that we're together? I mean, as friends. Not as servants, nor maids, and we don't ask each other to make coffee over and over again. We don't have statues against the wall, and when there's gum on our shoes, we don't ask each other to take it off. Isn't this the life?" Sakura plopped herself down on the couch right in between her now, majorly confused, friends.

"Umm yea….Sakura, we are friends…" Hinata stared at the pink haired girl worriedly. Where had she gone to undergo such a transformation.

Naruto on the other hand, had no problem with Sakura's new attitude. He just joined her by giving her a huge hug.

"You're right, Sakura. We'll be friends! Friends forever! And ever! And ever! And ever! And…" Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Naruto, there aren't that many evers."…Thank god, she thought mentally.

The man chuckled. "I guess you're right. But…" he peered at Sakura curiously. "What happened?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Came her innocent reply.

Hinata and Naruto cautiously sat back a little. Their friend was starting to creep them out.

"Are you..okay?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I'm great. Never better." Sakura smiled as she contentedly slouched into the couch. This was the life. No orders, just regular old friend time on the couch. She grinned as she closed her eyes to let herself enjoy the moment.

Two pairs of round eyes stared at her. This was not Sakura. What had happened to Sakura?

"Aren't you glad we're friends? Even if we aren't rich?" Sakura murmured as she took each friend by the arm and huddled them closer to her. "Isn't it great?"

"Umm..yea, Sakura. Whatever you say." Naruto was scared. Sakura had gone berserk. He shared a helpless gaze with Hinata. There was no getting out now. Sakura had them in a death grip. If they tried to move, then surely, they'd be yanked right back.

So the two friends stayed like that with Sakura for remainder of the day. And somehow, all three managed to fall asleep on the couch.

* * *

Shisui didn't like his job at all. He had managed to stalk Sakura back to her apartment. Now it was actually the looking into her room that was hard. He felt dirty. Even if she was the main suspect, she was still a girl. She needed her privacy, and he didn't want to violate that. Still, he needed to find out as much about her as possible.

He walked to her apartment. Shisui couldn't believe his luck. The door was left open. Maybe she didn't mind her privacy that much, after all.

He took a peek. Three heads were against each other on the couch. What were they doing?

Quietly, he placed his hand on the doorknob, stepped inside the room, and tip-toed closer to the couch. He spotted Sakura's pink hair in the middle. Noticing his precious time running out, Shisui took out a camera and snapped a picture of Sakura and her two friends. After getting the photo, he decided to leave. He felt like he was intruding into something that he shouldn't be.

Without another look, Shisui walked out of the apartment. Sasuke had better be positive that she was a suspect.

* * *

Sakura woke up groggily as she realized that bright blonde hair was shoved in her face.

Naruto. She presumed.

Not caring if he woke up or not, she pushed his head out of her way. Apparently, Sakura's friendly attitude from before was gone, and regular old Sakura came back. She spotted Hinata on the other side of the couch, dozing off quietly. Naruto had hit his head against the armrest of the other end of the couch, and yet, he still managed to sleep. What a guy…

Sakura got up quietly, making sure not to wake up her friends and walked over to the kitchen. Some coffee would do her good. After a while, a steaming cup of coffee sat in front of Sakura as she pondered upon her situation.

One day down. Six more to go. Oh boy, this week was going to test her patience. Sakura swirled a spoon in her coffee, and she watched the liquid follow her circular movements. What was she going to do?

Tsunade was going to blow up if she knew that Sakura still associated with the Uchihas. Punishment from Tsunade was scary. The woman had killer strength and a nasty temper. Sakura managed to stay on her good side so far. She didn't want to change that.

What about her friends, Ino and Tenten? What would they do if they were in this situation. Tenten would probably do the right thing and leave the Uchihas alone. Ino would probably get her flirt on and meet up with Sasuke and Itachi every day. Sakura grinned. There was Shisui too. He wasn't much of a looker compared to the other two Uchihas, but his personality made up for it. He would make a great friend, Sakura could tell. He was the only thing that was keeping Sakura from dreading to go the Uchiha mansion.

She wondered what he was doing at the moment. Probably getting bossed around by Sasuke. With that thought, Sakura chuckled. Poor guy.

Unbeknownst to her, the said man was staring at her through the window outside. Hesitantly, the man brought the camera up to his face again.

_Click._

Sakura finished her coffee, and went out of the apartment. On her way, she noticed the door was open. Boy, that was dangerous. Someone might have came in while they were sleeping. She made a mental note to be more careful next time.

With a sigh, Sakura began to walk outside. She needed to have that much needed girl time. Even if it wasn't with Hinata.

Sakura walked towards the Yamanaka flower shop. Right when she was about to go in, Ino and Tenten came out.

"Whoa, nice timing." Remarked Tenten. She grinned at Sakura as she spoke. "We were just about to get you. Time for some shopping."

Sakura smiled back.

This was just what she needed. Some stress free shopping with her friends.

"C'mon!" Ino linked her arm with hers, and the three girls walked over to the mall. Three girls too carefree to notice that they were followed.

* * *

Shisui regrettably trailed behind Sakura and her friends. He snapped pictures of them here and there. After a while of realizing that they were really just going to shop, he picked up his cell and called Itachi.

"What?" Came the elder Uchiha's voice.

"I need some help. Is it possible for you to check up on something for me? Well, actually some people." Shisui said quickly. Asking Itachi for help had almost a success rate of zero.

"Who?"

"Ino Yamanaka and Tenten." Shisui had picked up their names from the girls chatting at the mall.

"Why?"

All of these one word responses. Shisui sighed. That was so like Itachi.

"Because they're friends to Sakura Haruno."

Now that piqued Itachi's interest.

"Tell me, what does this Sakura person look like?" Shisui arched his eyebrows. Why should that matter? But he was surprised that Itachi had any interest in the matter at all, so he kept up with his questions.

"She has pink hair, green eyes…" Shisui was cut off.

"Hn. I got it."

_Click._

Shisui looked at his cell phone. That was…easier than he thought. Puzzled, he put the phone back into this pocket. First Sasuke acts weird, and now Itachi is interested in helping. What were the two Uchiha brothers planning anyways?

* * *

Itachi hung up the phone. Things were getting interesting now. He finally got the girl's real name. Bye-bye Akari Mao. Hello Sakura Haruno. Fitting name, he noticed.

With a smirk, he went to his computer that sat at the desk in his spacious room.

Fluently, he typed in 'Ino Yamanaka.'

A list of information flashed on the screen. His eyes widened a bit.

He then typed in, 'Tenten.'

Again, informational windows flooded the screen.

Well, well, well. Wasn't this interesting? Itachi scanned the monitor for any keywords. Well, one word popped up in almost every window for both girls.

He searched it up.

Itachi's eyes glued themselves to the screen. Wow. Who knew about this? His eyes roamed downwards. A smirk formed on his face.

Jackpot.

* * *

Sasuke was a bit impatient at the moment. He had already ordered Shisui the job of tailing Sakura. He knew that his cousin wasn't pleased with the task. He was also fully aware that if the pink haired girl actually found out that she was being followed, then hell would break loose. Sasuke would kiss the blueprint bye-bye. He'd leave his quiet and peaceful life. And he'd…

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

He'd have to forget about Sakura completely.

The idea didn't thrill him. There was a foreign feeling that pricked at Sasuke. To just forget about the girl didn't seem to do justice. There was also the fact that he doubted that the unearthly girl could stay out of his mind. Annoyance at both the thought of forgetting her and his want to not forget was a pain for the normally stoic Uchiha.

There was always the possibility that she really was evil. Someone that worked for an employer to cause Uchiha Corp.'s downfall.

Sasuke's hand tightenend into a fist.

If she really was that kind of person, Sasuke would have to take action. Thoughts of the fiery girl flashed past in his head. Sasuke gritted his teeth. The part he hated the most was the teetering thought nagging at him.

_Could_ he take action against her?

Could he actually create harm towards her? Either physically or mentally?

Sasuke growled underneath his breath. He was not supposed to feel this way. Especially not towards a girl he's only met three times.

Especially not when she could be his enemy.

Sasuke's hands threaded themselves in his hair. This girl was occupying his thoughts lately. A little more than he would deem reasonable.

He wished Shisui would find some information. Any information to prove her innocence. It would be a heck of a lot easier for Sasuke to handle the situation that way. Wouldn't it be great if the thief was someone else? Then he could capture the robber with no hard feelings. Sakura would just be a lady he was associated with in his life.

He wished that was the case. So when Sasuke felt the vibrating phone in his pocket, he snatched it up and put it to his ear swiftly.

"Yes?"

Shisui's sullen voice spoke.

"I have the information." Sasuke's throat visibly tightened.

"And…?"

"I think you need to talk to Itachi about it."

_Click._

The line went dead.

Sasuke knew then. He knew that his hope vanished. Ignoring the prick in his chest, Sasuke walked out of the study and made his way to Itachi's room.

Oh Sakura Haruno. What was she doing to him?

* * *

Sakura felt weightless as she returned to her apartment. The shopping spree she had with Ino and Tenten had done the trick. She felt relaxed, and her sore limbs from the events that had occurred earlier in the day had loosened.

She actually felt as if she could handle the week working with Sasuke. It couldn't be much worse than the first day, could it?

With a content smile plastered on her face, Sakura walked up to her apartment. Right when she was about to open the door, she stopped. Her eyes trained themselves on the doorknob.

Something was wrong. Her spy instinct warned her. As she stared closer at the brass, she noticed fingerprints. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal. Everyone had to place their hand on the doorknob to get inside. But due to Sakura's years of spy training, she knew there was more to the story. The fingerprints were slightly blurred, and the once dull looking brass shined a bit more than usual.

Someone had tried to or, Sakura gulped, succeeded in opening the door. The smudged fingerprints meant that the person was nervous. His or her perspiration had transferred to the hands when they had placed them on the brass object. The handle of the door had shined because of the sweat. How had she missed this when she left the apartment earlier? Mentally scolding herself, she crouched down.

Sakura examined the ground in front of the door. Someone had tried to go inside but had a guilty conscience. She spotted a contrast of color against the floor. She picked up the sliver gently. Her eyes narrowed perceptively.

That _someone_, just so happened to have dark hair.

Now, who could it be?

* * *

Sasuke opened the door to Itachi's room and spotted his brother hunched over at the desk. Without turning, the elder Uchiha spoke.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

"Not the time for teasing." Sasuke practically sneered. He wasn't on the best conditions with his brother. His aloof genius of a brother that was perfect at everything, and yet, left the responsibility of being the heir to Sasuke.

"I suppose you're here for some information."

"Hn."

Itachi placed his hand on a manila envelope at his side and stretched his arm out towards Sasuke.

"This is what Shisui got."

Sasuke took the folder and peered at his brother, who still had his eyes on the computer, suspiciously.

"What about what you got?" He detected a smirk from his brother.

"Foolish little brother. I'm still researching. When I feel the time is right, I will show you."

Sasuke growled softly. His brother was usually a pain, but today, Sasuke wasn't in the mood to act along with him.

"When you are done, you will give me the information you got." Sasuke made sure he made his point before walking out of the room. The door slammed closed behind him.

Itachi still sat, unnerved. There was no need for him to dwindle on his brother's attitude at the moment. His eyes glued themselves on the screen, reading.

There were more _interesting_ matters occupying his mind.

* * *

Sasuke made his way back to the study. No one dared to disturb him there. The manila folder was grasped tightly in his hand as he walked briskly to the office.

He was quite nervous about what he would see inside the folder, of course, he'd never admit that. His future decisions rested in his hands at the moment. If he saw what he got, it would clear things up. Even if Sakura was not the girl she looked to be, Sasuke would make sure he completed his task. And that was to bring back the blueprint.

His eyes hardened.

No one would deter him from that task.

After making his way inside the study, Sasuke rested himself in the leather chair. Taking out the manila folder, he took out the contents.

Sasuke sat down at his desk and ruffled through the papers.

Notes, pictures, names, and memos littered the space in front of him.

He glanced over at everything.

The picture of her shopping.

The address of her apartment.

The name of her roommate.

Yes, the power of Uchihas were scary.

But in order to get back the blueprint, Sasuke knew these things must be done. Even if they did resemble stalker tactics.

Now all he was left with were three names.

He glanced at them.

Tenten, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuuga.

Time to pay some visits.

* * *

Ino settled herself behind the counter in the Yamanaka flower shop. Her parents had left to do some grocery shopping, and she was in charge of maintaining order around the place.

With a sigh, she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Her cerulean eyes stared at the street outside the store. People were milling around the city. Some businessmen hurried to catch cabs while mothers wheeled their strollers on the sidewalk. Some teenagers giggled and whispered to each other while walking, and somebody had lost a little white dog who was making good use of a nearby fire hydrant.

Nope, no customers.

Ino had been trained in this line of business. She could tell who would enter the shop and buy some flowers, and who were just passing by. Her eyes picked out potential customers, and she would offer them her services.

Judging from the people outside at the moment, there would be no flowers sold.

As her eyes lazily wandered around the street, she saw a distinctive black car pull up near the sidewalk. The car looked shiny and expensive, and she voluntarily gasped when she saw the passenger step out.

Normally, Ino would think that the man had no intention of coming inside to look at flowers. However, as her eyes met with his onyx orbs, she realized today was different.

Her eyebrows furrowed. What did Sasuke Uchiha want?

* * *

Sasuke glanced up at the sign above the shop. 'Yamanaka Flower Shop.' This was it. His gaze met with the girl behind the counter. He watched as she tensed involuntarily. She must be Ino.

After making sure his car was locked, Sasuke proceeded into the shop. There were no customers around.

Perfect. That made talking to her all the easier. There would be no distractions and no eavesdroppers.

As he made his way closer to the counter, he noted her appearance. Like Sakura, she had a certain fire in her eyes that made him doubt talking to her would be easy. Unlike the other girl, Ino seemed to have more of a 'girl attitude.' He saw the way her eyes glinted mischievously. Sasuke smirked. If she was a flirt, then this might take less time than he had originally planned.

"Do you need anything, Mr. Uchiha?" His smirk grew.

"You know me?"

"As does this entire city." Her replies were uninterested, but her eyes betrayed her. They watched him like a hawk, curious about his actions.

"Well, I guess I'm rather popular." He was stalling, and she knew it.

"Cut to the chase. What did you want?" Sasuke stared at her, his gaze no longer light. She asked for it.

"I need to know more about Sakura Haruno." He saw her eyes widen but returned normal in a fraction of a second. Even so, Sasuke was positive that Ino was cautious and surprised at his statement. True to his words, when the girl spoke again, her voice was guarded.

"What do you need to know? She's just my friend." She was a good actress, he'll give her that. But he was Sasuke Uchiha after all, he would not fall under her lies.

"What does she do for a living?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business." Well, he knew now that she wasn't really a flirt at all. This girl was loyal, he could tell. Sasuke gritted his teeth. It would not go well for him if all three girls on the list were like her.

"What do _you_ do for a living then?" Ino shot him a hardened stare. She waved her hands slowly, as if introducing the flowers to him.

"I work in this flower shop."

"I meant, what _else_ did you do?" Ino silently sucked in a breath. She stared at his knowing eyes. He was smart, but she would not give him the upper hand.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because you seem as secretive as Sakura." Sasuke bent over the counter. "Exactly the same as Sakura."

There was a pause until he spoke again.

"What do you guys have to hide?"

Her eyes, as much as Ino hated, could not meet his probing orbs. There was a certain intensity in them in which she could not respond to. She would not respond. That would be the best way to make this man go away.

Which brought her to another question…

"Why are you so curious about Sakura?" She noticed his gaze waver. Could he actually have…?

"Personal matters." Ino nodded her head slowly. The answer wasn't enough, but that moment when he had broken the gaze gave Ino the answer she sought.

"Will you tell me anything?" His voice was not as strong as before, but they still demanded her attention. He met his stare with her own darkened orbs.

"There's nothing to tell." Letting out a deep sigh, Sasuke looked at the paper in his hand. Time to go to his last resort. Bluffing.

"What if I told you that your friend Tenten told me everything?" He remarked casually. However, his eyes were searching. Searching for any type of sign or body movement from the girl. He found what he was looking for.

The girl's eyes had widened, and this time, they didn't mask the sudden rush of fear. He noticed her hand clenching and unclenching as if she was having an internal battle with herself. Sasuke watched as she closed her eyes. After a second or two, she opened them and faced him with her expression from before. Uncaring and uninterested.

Sasuke smirked. She might be good at hiding her emotions, but like everyone, she sometimes slipped up.

Her voice held the same tone, but Sasuke noted that it was strained to a certain point.

"Tenten is my friend, as well as Sakura's. That's all there is to it."

"Hn." Sensing that he was being dismissed, Sasuke began to turn around. Right before he walked out the door, he looked back and flashed Ino a smirk. A smirk that chilled the girl to the bone.

"_Ino_, it's quite hard to hide things when you are dealing with me." With that, the Uchiha opened the door and walked away. He had purposely used her name like the time he had done it to Sakura. The effect of saying their title made them fear his power. Sasuke knew that would help his mission. Smirking, he got inside the car. This visit wasn't wasted, after all. He had gotten information even without the girl saying anything.

* * *

Ino watched his car drive away and sighed. That didn't go well at all.

She knew that she had given something away. The Uchiha seemed too smart to not notice her every movement and expression. But what troubled Ino the most was the fact that he had actually went up to her. He had found out where she worked. Who she was. Her name. And he had linked her, Tenten, and Sakura all together.

The man had power and brains. What a deadly combination. Worridly, Ino furrowed her eyebrows.

What had Sakura done?

Ino knew that her friend was in trouble now. She would not report this to Tsunade since she knew that Sakura would be severely punished if the older lady found out. Ino rested her head in her hands as she stared into space.

This mission had not gone well at all. Orochimaru was expecting a blueprint that he wasn't going to get anytime soon. And then there was Sasuke Uchiha, tracking them all down. Ino gulped nervously. He could actually expose their secret identities as spies.

With a groan, she rubbed her eyes. She was going to lose sleep over this. With that thought in place, Ino let out a whine.

She didn't want any wrinkles from stress!

* * *

Sasuke drove and looked at the piece of paper in his hands. Next stop, time to meet Tenten.

He rounded a couple or turns and made it to the written address in a couple of minutes.

As he got out of the car, Sasuke noticed that _this_ girl worked in a weapons store. Judging from the girl at the flower shop, he mentally winced at the thought of what this girl would be like. Surrounding herself with harmful objects, she would be even harder to crack than that Ino girl.

Hardening his resolve, he walked inside. It was dark with a singular light in the middle of the crowded store. Weapons lined the walls, ranging from knives to swords, guns to little round things that looked liked bombs. Sasuke mentally groaned. What in the world was this girl going to be like?

"Oh! Is somebody there?" He heard a voice from the back of the store.

"Hn." He let himself be heard.

"I'll be right with you!" Sasuke heard a crash then an audible "ouch!" followed by some wobbling. A girl with her hair tied in buns hobbled out from the back. She gave him a pleasant smile that soon turned defensive when she saw him in the light.

Sasuke mentally sighed. It didn't help much that everyone knew who he was.

"Do you need something?" Her voice was the same as the other girl's. Tight. Crisp. Straight to the point. She didn't want him there, that was for sure.

Sasuke walked closer to the girl. Well, it was going to be hard kicking him out without him getting some answers.

"I need answers." Direct approach would be the best tactic.

"I don't have them. I have weapons. Go find your answers somewhere else." Sasuke was registering this new information in his head. Not the one about him finding answers at another place, but the fact that all three girls acted in the same manner. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were all guarded and secretive. They were also tough. He could tell none of them would be a push-over.

"What can you tell me about Sakura Haruno?" Her eyes hardened.

"My friend."

"Is that all? You guys don't do anything with each other?" Sasuke pried. She gave him a smirk.

"I doubt a man like yourself would want to hear about us girls gossiping and shopping."

"I wouldn't mind any information that you give me."

"Too bad I won't tell you anything."

"Hn." This girl was even tougher than the last one. She wouldn't even give him a change in expression. But he wouldn't give up so easily. Again, time to bluff. Or tell half truths.

"I've talked to your other friend, Ino, already." He remarked slyly. He got a slight flicker of the eyes. Wasn't much, but it was better than nothing at all. The girl smirked slightly.

"Do you have nothing else to do than harass us girls?" Sasuke's eyes widened a centimeter. Which was as far as his eyes will ever go. He had not anticipated that blow. That blow to his ego, that is. Sasuke knew his pride was something he needed to learn to control. However, at the moment, all he could focus on was those eyes glaring at him. Those eyes that reminded him of Sakura.

All three girls were alike. All of them had something to hide. And Sasuke could confirm that they worked together. They were more than best friends. The three girls were probably workers. His eyes narrowed. Working together.

Now that was a new thought. What if Sakura had help the day she robbed him of the blueprint? And what if…Sasuke's eyes trailed up to meet the girl's dark orbs. They eyed him in disdain and a bit of uncertainty. What if these two girls had assisted Sakura in her mission? He ran over his thoughts. Both of them had been aware of his appearance and had been on guard when talking to him. Both of them were fierce and spoke little of their bond with each other save for the fact that they were all friends. Yes, it made sense. Sasuke's brain clicked in place. Well, this was a turn in events.

He smirked unknowingly to himself. But Tenten caught it. She tensed. What was he happy about?

Sasuke mentally praised himself. Even without them giving him any answers, he was able to deduct his theory. A theory that was probably true. But in that case…

Sasuke's mood darkened, and the smirk was wiped off his face.

Sakura really had stolen the blueprint, and now, there was no point in returning. The truth was smack dab in front of him, but Sasuke wasn't eager to admit it. This was going to test his patience and his pride. The prick had returned, and he grimaced. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Tenten watched his display of emotions…well, the _slight_ increase of expressions on his face. The man was thinking of something intensely. Something that probably had to do with Sakura. Tenten visibly groaned. Tsunade had warned them of no further contact with the Uchihas. Why in the world didn't Sakura listen?

It was then that Sasuke managed to snap out of his reverie. He clenched his fist. This was rare. Uchihas didn't just blank out. It was not their style and quite unprofessional. The fact that Sakura had this much power over him and that she had practically taken over his mind was unnerving.

This has got to stop.

Tenten watched as Sasuke abruptly looked at her again.

"Thank you for your time. I must leave now." Without waiting for her to say 'bye,' he had already walked out to his car.

Tenten groaned. This was a twist to things. Sakura had better watch out. As a matter of fact, they should all watch out.

* * *

Sasuke looked at the last name on the piece of paper. 'Hinata Hyuuga.' A Hyuuga huh? She was probably at her apartment, wait, the apartment she _shared _with Sakura. It wouldn't be a wise idea to go there seeing as Sakura was probably there too. Besides, she was a Hyuuga.

The Hyuuga Industry was the main rival to the Uchiha Corp. He didn't want them to be involved in this even if it was talking to Hinata. Her cousin was Neji, after all. And Sasuke knew that that man wouldn't let him off the hook even if all he did was talk to her.

The Hyuugas didn't need to know about the Uchihas' problems. Absolutely no need. Sasuke looked at his watch. It was almost 10. The sky was completely dark, and the street lights shone ahead.

He had gathered enough information for the day. Sasuke began to drive home. Time to go rest.

* * *

Sasuke pulled up at the Uchiha mansion. He walked towards the main doors and gave the guards a nod before they let him in. The building was quiet. It was late, and most workers had already gone home.

He still had the paper in his hands as he made his way back to the study. It would probably be best to leave this list in the manila folder. Best to keep all of these things in the same place.

Sasuke walked into the familiar hallway. When he stepped in front of the door, he was quite surprised that the door was slightly ajar. Who had the guts to enter the study without his permission?

His question was soon answered when he entered the room. Angry green orbs met his surprised ones. His eyes drifted to her hands where an opened manila folder laid on the desk. Pictures and papers were scattered all over the place. The contents had all been emptied out of the folder.

Sasuke unconsciously stuffed the piece of paper in his pocket. His eyes snapped back to her furious state.

Her eyes burned holes through him, and her hands were in fists. She gave him the harshest glare she could muster. Sasuke had seen Sakura's annoyed attitude before, but her anger was something to marvel at. Or something to be scared of.

But then, she spoke. And Sasuke knew he would not make it through the night without a fight. Verbally…or as he looked at her posture, oh god, was she going to fight him?

"What the hell are these?" She grabbed a handful of papers and flung them at him. Pictures of her at the mall and addresses floated down to the floor. Sasuke eyed them disinterestedly.

"You should know that they are pictures of you." Sakura growled as she stalked over to him. She stopped when she was at a hair's length of him.

"Don't you give me that! You were stalking me."

"I prefer the term, 'gathering information.'"

Sakura bristled.

"Gathering information my ass!" She heaved from her anger. He could sense it radiating it off of her. Not a good sign. But then, her breathing evened. He looked into her eyes and realized that the anger had dissipated a bit. She now looked talkable. And not so yellable.

"You wouldn't answer my questions." He stated quietly. She stared at him as if trying to read his mind and spoke in the equally quiet fashion.

"There's a reason I wouldn't."

"Why?"

She paused. Her head lifted up towards his as she regarded him seriously. The anger had almost completely vanished now, and what was left was a forlorn woman. Sasuke felt a stab of guilt. And then the prickly feeling came back.

"Stay out of my life." Her voice was steady, strong.

"What if I don't want to?" His voice was still soft yet it gained its strength.

"Then we part ways now."

Sasuke's throat clenched. This girl was really something. The prickly feeling was stabbing at him now. Sasuke ignored it. All he could see was her dejected gaze.

"No." He managed to croak out.

"Then no more snooping." She turned around and bent down to pick up the papers she had thrown earlier.

Sasuke waited a bit until he asked her another question.

"How did you know?" The issue he was asking about was obvious. Sakura answered without looking at him.

"You left a strand of dark hair in front of my apartment door."

Sasuke's eyes furrowed. He had left hair? Then it clicked. Oh boy, Shisui was going to get it now. If he wasn't growing old and getting bald then his hair wouldn't have fallen and she wouldn't have known. Shisui was going down, Sasuke mentally noted. He had just given himself a year's worth of chores.

But as Sasuke stared back at the girl in front of him, his gaze softened. A tiny bit.

Just who was this girl in front of him? Who was Sakura Haruno? And why in the world was she so cautious that she had observed the floor for clues? How had she noticed that there was a strange strand of hair out of place?

But there was another question nagging at Sasuke as he stared at the pink haired girl. How could he make the prickly feeling stop?

* * *

Wow. I surprise myself. There are more words every chapter.

Again, please take the poll on my profile. I want to see the readers' opinions of which to start first. All summaries are posted on my profile.

Here's the preview for the next chapter.

_Chapter Six: Understanding the Uchihas_

_Sakura didn't know what to do._

_All of a sudden she remembered what Mr. Yakamura had said when he had 'lost it.'_

_A jury room. Three Uchihas. Fainting._

_Well, she certainly knew how that felt now. _

_Of course, she wouldn't faint. Oh no, her pride wouldn't allow her to do that. Especially not her spy pride._

_But then again, her spy side of her had never experienced this before._

_This fear. This confusion. This anticipation of what was going to come next._

_She saw Sasuke's stare, and they caught each other's gaze. A foreign feeling entered her._

_Without thinking, she blurted out._

_"Please don't kick me out."_

There you have it!

Drop by and review. It'll fuel up my passion for updating.

r&r


	6. Understanding the Uchihas

Another update! I do believe that I have outdone myself with these fast updates. All thanks to my faithful readers. I will pay tribute to all 'ye faithful' in future chapters. Much thanks!

**A/N: **Please take the poll on my profile. It will help me decide on which story to start next. I plan to write my next fic in the upcoming week. VOTE!

**Words: **6032

**Disclaimer: **Psh, yea right.

* * *

**Chapter Six—Understanding the Uchihas**

Sakura managed to get back to her apartment without a certain Uchiha following. She made sure of that. Her spy pride had taken a beating when she realized that she was being followed yet was too late to notice it. That could have ended up in a disaster if it had happened when she was on a real mission.

She supposed it was understandable why Sasuke wanted to keep tabs on her. That didn't mean she'd forgive him so easily. Stalking her and her friends was low. Still, as much as Sakura didn't want to admit it, she knew why Sasuke was so intent on finding out more about her. After all, she was his leading suspect in the robbery.

If she was in his shoes, she probably would have done the same thing. Sakura gritted her teeth in frustration. She was supposed to be mad at him, not siding with him! Her eyes lingered to the digital clock next to her bed. 11:11. Well, Sakura wasn't the superstitious type, but she closed her eyes and made a wish.

"Please let me see what goes on in Sasuke Uchiha's mind."

She opened her eyes and watched the digital red light turn into a 2 before she turned away.

That wish would help her know what he was thinking. It would show her what he was planning on doing so she could be prepared. Well, that is, if the dream came true.

Sighing, Sakura snuggled up in her covers and closed her eyes. Sleeping had become a habit of hers after she had met the Uchiha, and she was beginning to feel that it was the highlight of her day. Soon, the pink haired girl drifted off.

* * *

Sasuke was now even more frustrated than before. He had been caught by the girl. He, Sasuke Uchiha, had been found out. By a mere girl.

Good thing she wasn't really in the mood to fight. Or else, he would've heard her ramblings the entire night.

Although, as Sasuke thought about it, she didn't seem as fiery as before. He remembered her dejected gaze and her forlorn attitude. Something wasn't right. She was…dare he say it? But a nagging feeling in the pits of his stomach told him so too. Sakura was changing.

It was an abrupt change, but nonetheless, Sasuke had sensed something off from the girl that night. She wasn't eager to throw back comebacks, and he could have sworn, she actually looked ready to tell him something. But she had hesitated, and stopped. Sakura had turned her back on him to pick up the litter on the floor. Now Sasuke's mind clicked in place. During the last few words they had said to each other, she had not once looked at him. Now that was a thought.

She had avoided his gaze. She had avoided a fight. And right when she finished picking everything up, she didn't even bother taking the contents with her. All Sakura did, was walk out of the study, not once sparing him a single glance.

What was going on in that head of hers? Was she really going to tell him something earlier that night? Sasuke cursed his luck. If only he had noticed the change sooner, he might have actually gotten some information out of her. Now all he had to do was wait. Wait until 6 the next morning for him to see her again.

Letting out a groan, Sasuke was fairly prepared to sleep. Until his cell rang.

Looking at the number, he snapped awake.

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to see the information I got." Came a snide voice.

"You done?"

"Hn. Drop by."

"What did you find?"

"Come over and you'll find out." Itachi paused then decided to add to it. "You won't be disappointed."

_Click._

Sasuke took a deep breath and then strolled over to his brother's room.

Would Sakura's secret be revealed?

* * *

Itachi smirked when his brother stepped inside the room. Onyx eyes clashed with his.

"What did you find?" So direct. Itachi shook his head in an amused fashion. He pointed to the screen and motioned for Sasuke to come closer.

Once Sasuke was close enough to the screen, Itachi spoke.

"Look at this." The younger Uchiha scanned his eyes over the screen. His breath caught in his throat.

"What does this mean?" Itachi regarded his brother curiously.

"Don't tell me you can't read elementary level words." He received a glare.

"I can read fine. I meant that by this…" Sasuke trailed off.

Itachi nodded. He understood his brother's astonishment.

"Yes, according to this. Sakura Haruno doesn't exist."

"How is that possible?" Sasuke had the thought that she had used another fake name. But as he recalled her friends' reactions when he said her name, he shook his head. No, that was her real name alright.

"Look at this." Itachi ignored Sasuke's question. Instead, he brought up the screen of the information he found on Tenten and Ino. He heard another sharp intake of breath next to him.

"There's no way that's true. I met them earlier today."

"According to my sources, it says that all three of them don't exist."

"But…"

"They're supposedly dead from a car crash six years ago."

"The same car crash?"

Itachi nodded.

"Quite unlikely, isn't it? Especially considering the fact that you've met with them."

"What else did you find?"

Itachi scrolled down, and he brought all three windows on the screen. All three articles had one word highlighted.

"Tsunade..?" Sasuke questioned. "Who's that?"

"Apparently their keeper of some sort. She's in all of their lives. And…" Itachi sneaked a look at his brother. "She's alive."

"Where is she?" Came his instant reply. Itachi had knew this question would pop up so he was prepared.

"Here's her address." He handed his brother a slip of paper. As Sasuke was about to move, Itachi stopped him. "I wouldn't advise you to visit her at this time in the night. She seems well known for her temper."

Sasuke paused his movements to consider his brother's advice. It would probably be better for him to visit her the next day. With that, he headed for the door. Before he left, Sasuke spoke again, not looking at Itachi.

"Itachi.." His elder brother regarded him with an eyebrow raised.

"Hn." Sasuke left.

Itachi smirked, knowing that in his own way, his younger brother had expressed his thanks.

* * *

Sakura groaned. Not again. She jumped out of bed and got dressed. Rushing out of her room, she grabbed a bagel, bit it, and ran out of her apartment. Did he have to pick 6 am?

She hopped in her car and drove off to the Uchiha mansion. She wasn't very sure if she wanted to see Sasuke yet. After last night's incident, she had a feeling something had shifted in their relationship. Wait, not relationship, more like 'acquaintanceship,' Sakura thought. Yes, that was more like it.

Sakura didn't want to go anywhere close to the mansion. She doubted even Shisui could cheer her up. But true to her word, Sakura pulled up in front of the building and got the 'ok' from the guards. Without thinking, she made her way to the study. Sasuke would be waiting.

She didn't know that she'd find something else there. _Someone_ else.

An old man sat at the leather seat and when she stepped into the room, he lifted his eyes from the papers on the desk and looked at her. His eyes spoke millions about his personality. Cold, strict, harsh, unfeeling, they were dark blank pits. Pits that sent a shiver down Sakura's spine.

His posture and air radiated superiority. It oddly reminded Sakura of Sasuke. There was a distinct resemblance between the two, she noticed. Even the way he regarded her with disinterest was the same.

"Who are you?" His voice was cold yet stern. It told Sakura to answer. There was no choice to just leave.

"Sakura Haruno." She answered steadily.

"What's your business here?"

"I'm here to meet with Sasuke." Sakura answered truthfully. The old man narrowed his eyes.

"What for?" Boy, was he nosy… Once again, Sakura answered as truthfully as she could.

"It's personal." _Meaning it's none of your business._

"I'll get my son here to explain it then." He spoke crisply as he dialed a number on his phone. Sakura's eyes widened. This old man was Sasuke's father? They did act in the same fashion, she'll give him that. She mentally shivered. Now she understood where Sasuke's attitude came from, who could stand a father like that?

The old man hung up the phone. Without giving her another glance, he directed his gaze back to the papers littered on the desk. He shifted through them and read each one. Shaking his head, he scrawled something on a paper. Sakura knew that he was giving her a cold shoulder. Acting like she wasn't there was no problem for her. She wouldn't want his attention anyways. However the act was rather rude in Sakura's eyes. For once, she wished that Sasuke would come soon.

Her wish came true when the door swung open. In came a disgruntled Sasuke. He shot her a glare which she heatedly returned. But as he walked closer to his father, Sakura noted that his posture and attitude turned crisp and professional. Like father like son.

The old man turned his steely gaze towards the other Uchiha. Sakura saw that the stare had no affection in it. It held authority and expectations. Nothing that showed that they were a family. More like a boss and a worker. Scary family, Sakura thought.

"Who is she?" The man asked the same question to Sasuke who met his gaze head on with an indifferent one of his own.

"Someone I know." Vague answer, his father noticed.

"What is she doing here?"

"We were supposed to meet."

"For what?" Sasuke took a few seconds to think before answering. He couldn't very well just say 'oh, she's my personal maid for a week because I bought her a dress that she has to pay back. But the only reason I paid for her dress was because I think she's the one that stole our blueprint.' That would go well…

"I have business with her." _As in stick your head back in your papers, old man!_ Sakura blurted mentally. She didn't like the orderly man that looked down on people, even his own son.

"Since when have you dealt with business." Ouch. That was a blow to Sasuke. Sakura was quite surprised. He was _supposed_ to be a father. How could he just say that to his son? If only he knew why she was really here. If only the old man knew that the reason she was here was because Sasuke wanted to gain back the blueprint for the company. All of Sasuke's actions was for Uchiha Corp. And yet, his own father was scolding him with those unnerving eyes. Those cold, unfeeling orbs.

Sakura directed her gaze to Sasuke. He was tense. His fists had tightened at his sides, and she knew that he was fighting to stay in control of his words and actions. He was still trying to act professional. Sakura realized that this wasn't a talk between father and son. This was an inner battle of whether Sasuke was good enough to be in his father's presence. Harsh.

"We are doing business, that's all, father." Sasuke had wanted to spit out the title of the man in front of him. He was not thrilled to see the head of the company so early in the morning. He didn't see him any other time so why today? Why pick the day when Sakura was going to come? He examined her from the corner of his eye.

She was biting her lip to stop herself from saying something. Her body looked as if she was in for a fight. Her eyes were vibrant and her pink hair that usually gently caressed her back, was a bit wild. She probably woke up late again. Sasuke mentally winced. Now she got to meet his father. Sakura was not going to be in a good mood.

"Sasuke, you are the heir to this company." His father spoke, colder than ever. "I have high expectations for you. Expectations that I hope you will meet." His eyes trailed over to Sakura. "I hope you do not avert from your goal by a mere girl. If she stands in your way, you must rid of the relationship." Sakura gaped at him. Was he implying that Sasuke and her were going out? As in dating? She was right about to open her mouth to set the man straight, when Sasuke beat her to it.

"Yes, father." Now, it was time for Sakura to turn her gaze to the Uchiha. Was he agreeing with the old man? But then again, she doubt that his father would listen to Sasuke's explanations. The man didn't seem to listen to anyone but himself. What kind of father was he?

"Itachi would be a better heir than you. Look at him. He's gifted, but his own stubbornness refuses for him to lead this company in the coming years. You should be more like him." Sasuke's father continued.

"As in have my stubbornness lead me away from the company?" Sasuke's reply rang through the room. He had slipped up, all three of them could tell. But Sakura couldn't blame him. His father had just deemed him as trash in the family.

The old man was not impressed by the remark.

"You will lead this company whether you like it or not. And I would like for the Uchiha Corp. to still be intact in the first year you begin to work." A biting remark was shot back. Both father and son gave each other a glare that Sakura knew she could not beat. She knew she could not enter nor defend Sasuke in this 'conversation.' It was personal, and she had a feeling that this stretched far beyond the issues within the company. There was clearly some sibling rivalry between Sasuke and Itachi, and their father was not helping things by picking favorites.

Sakura now understood why Sasuke was so persistent in getting the blueprint back. This was his only way to prove to his father that he was capable of running the company. That he was worth being called his son. Sasuke was trying to earn himself a spot in his father's heart and pride. A rush of pity overwhelmed her. Poor Sasuke.

"Now, it would be best for you to discard…" His father eyed Sakura for a second before returning to look at Sasuke. "such distractions until you secure your job." Sasuke's eyes hardened as Sakura bristled. Both had taken offense in his words.

It was then when Itachi decided to pop his head in from the door. He was met with three disgruntled adults. One emitting anger, another trying to stay in control, and his father. Enough said. Itachi liked things to be interesting, but not this way. This was just asking for trouble.

"Itachi, what brings you here?" Onyx orbs met with his father's.

"I heard a ruckus, and I came to check it out." Actually, he had been hoping that it was a quarrel between Sasuke and Sakura. That would have entertained him. This, however, was a bit too tense and sour for his taste. Best to leave the area before he got pulled into it. He motioned to leave.

"Itachi, talk some sense to your brother." His father stopped him. Itachi hid a disgruntled flicker of his eyes and stayed.

Guess he was going to stick around a bit longer.

What a pain…

* * *

Sakura stared at Itachi as he made his way closer to his father. Like Sasuke, he held his posture and stood on the opposite side of the room from his brother. He didn't seem pleased to have been ordered to stay. Sakura sighed. This was not going well.

"Itachi, persuade your brother to cast aside absurdities." Once again, Sakura realized that the insult was directed at her. What an ignorant old man. She would love to give him a piece of her mind. Her eyes trailed over to Sasuke whom was gritting his teeth. Her pity intensified. Now that she thought about it, Sasuke didn't turn out that bad considering the fact how his father was like.

"He is old enough to make his own decisions." Itachi answered crisply. His father seemed to glow red for a second. His surprise and anger at his two sons showed in that brief moment. Then, he regained his composure.

"Make sure she's escorted out." Was it Sakura, or did it seem that the old man was taking his frustrations out on her? Why did she have to leave?

"She didn't do anything. There's no need for her to…" Sasuke's remark was cut off by an icy glare.

"Are you disobeying my orders?"

"I'm only saying."

"How in the world did I get you for a son?" Sasuke closed his mouth, his eyes hard.

The old man directed his line of vision towards Sakura.

"Please leave." Sakura was at a loss for words. She couldn't necessarily tell him off for his harsh treatment towards her and his sons. He had too much power. Power that could overcome her. How scary.

Sakura didn't know what to do.

All of a sudden she remembered what Mr. Yakamura had said when he had 'lost it.'

A jury room. Three Uchihas. Fainting.

Well, she certainly knew how that felt now.

Of course, she wouldn't faint. Oh no, her pride wouldn't allow her to do that. Especially not her spy pride.

But then again, her spy side of her had never experienced this before.

This fear. This confusion. This anticipation of what was going to come next.

She saw Sasuke's stare, and they caught each other's gaze. A foreign feeling entered her.

Without thinking, she blurted out.

"Please don't kick me out."

The old man seemed momentarily surprised at her outburst.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sakura gulped. What had propelled her to say that? It was Sasuke's eyes. Yes, she blamed those orbs that told her to stay. However, it was surprising that she followed his orders. Still, since she already disobeyed, she might as well stick it out until the end.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"You're in my house, and I believe I have full power to make you leave." He peered at her closely. "Are you questioning my authority?"

"I wouldn't dare." Sakura said as a statement. In her mind though, she had formed a sarcastic tone.

"Being stubborn will not help you in this situation."

"I'm merely defending myself." Sakura stuck out her chin in defiance. Her fear of his power had vanished. In its place, she felt a surge of pig-headedness. No way was she going to leave without a fight. Who cared about the fact that in front of her, sat the most prominent businessmen in the entire city. Yep, that's right. She didn't care. Emerald eyes clashed with icy onyx orbs.

"Young lady…" The old man began but didn't get to finish. The slamming of a door interrupted his, no doubt long speech.

Sakura was surprised when she was whisked away by Sasuke out of the room. He had snatched her arm and opened the door of the study. Without a word, he had shut the door behind him. Sakura widened her eyes as she took in his appearance. Sasuke was trying to control his ragged breath, probably from the anger, and his eyes flashed dangerously. Sakura tried to ignore the stinging pain from the vice like grip from the Uchiha. He seemed to be in a completely different world. A world full of hate. Sakura wouldn't have that. So she snapped him out of it.

"What the heck was that? Are you out of your mind?" Yes, that was how Sakura shook Sasuke out of his daze. His orbs met hers.

"We need to leave, now." Sakura was about to protest, but Sasuke had already started to pull her to the door. There was no use to struggle. He was too strong, and he was intent on leaving the mansion.

Ignoring the concerned workers and the door guards, Sasuke pulled Sakura to a sleek black convertible.

"Get in." Came his order. Simple and crisp. An order that could not be ignored.

Sakura opened the door to the passenger's seat and slid in. She had better keep her mouth shut. Sasuke was in a pretty bad mood. Even she knew when to push her luck and when to shut her trap.

The Uchiha sat in the driver's seat, and put the car in drive. No words were uttered as he drove out of the Uchiha compound.

* * *

It was ten minutes later when Sakura decided to speak up. Sasuke had been driving, and she had no idea where they were going. No use getting kidnapped, although, she had a feeling that was the farthest thing from Sasuke's mind.

"Hey." Wow. That was a lousy way to start.

"Hn."

"So…" Sakura suddenly missed their bickering. This was just too awkward. A silence hung over them.

"Forgive my father." Sasuke said out of the blue. His eyes were trained on the road, but she knew he was still aware of her presence and expressions.

"There's no need. I didn't really mind." Sakura lied, and they both knew it.

"…He…expects a lot out of me. Not used to failure." Sasuke said slowly, as if savoring each word until he was sure that they came out right. Sakura was interested. The ice cube was actually trying to open up. She could tell that he wasn't used to saying these stuff. So she didn't interrupt as Sasuke spoke.

"My brother, Itachi…" Sasuke almost spat out the word, "is a genius. A prodigy. Someone I am not." He gritted it out. Sakura just listened.

"Since he didn't want to be the heir to the company, the job was left to me." A wry smirk adorned his face. "You could say there's a lot of pressure."

"That's why…" Sasuke abruptly stopped the car and parked it to the side so the other vehicles could pass. He directed his gaze towards Sakura. His eyes were neither harsh nor cold. They were just probing, as if seeking for some answer. An answer that, Sakura gulped, she knew she could not answer.

"That's why I need the blueprint back." Again, the probing eyes. Sakura knew that Sasuke was desperate for his father's approval. And at that instant, Sakura was so very close to telling him the truth. He had trusted her with his inner thoughts. He had taken her away from his pathetic excuse of a father. And now, all he wanted was an answer. Why couldn't she give it to him?

Just an answer. Sakura opened her mouth. The words were begging to come out. Those eyes were begging, well close to it since an Uchiha 'never' begs, for her to give him what he wanted to know.

Then, Sakura abruptly closed the gaping mouth. She could not. She couldn't give him an answer. It was hard to admit, especially looking at his eyes, but she knew she would not betray her spy agency. It would damage everyone's lives. Tenten's. Ino's. Shikamaru's. Tsunade's. Sakura mentally cringed.

Tsunade would skin her alive if she revealed their secret.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. But I …don't know what you're talking about." Another lie. Again, they both knew it. Instead of a rant, Sakura was once again, surprised at Sasuke's calm state. His shoulders sagged a bit, and he sighed. But another smirk had adorned his face.

"That's what I thought you were going to say." Sakura's breath hitched in her throat as she watched Sasuke return his gaze to the road. He maneuvered the car and made a U-turn.

"It's time to bring you back home."

Dumbly, all Sakura could do was nod.

* * *

Sasuke parked the car in front of Sakura's apartment building. Before Sakura stepped out of the car, she hesitated and turned to look at him.

"Where are you going to go?" He looked at her with an amused stare. The old Sasuke was slowly coming back, and for some reason, Sakura found herself glad of the fact.

"Back home. Where else?"

"But…" Sakura trailed off, knowing he'd get the hint. Sasuke would definitely not be wanted at the Uchiha mansion, at least not for the moment. Going back would result in some sort of punishment.

"Why, are you worried for me?" He gave her one of those signature smirks. Disgruntled, Sakura huffed.

"Not on your life."

"…Then, where do you suppose I stay?" This time, his voice got quiet. The amused gleam hadn't left his eyes though. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I don't care."

"Oh, but I think you do."

"You're hallucinating."

"Then you must be hallucinating with me."

"And why would that be?"

"Because you're caring."

"Caring for what?"

"Caring for me." Sakura gaped at him. Although, deep down inside, she knew he was right. But she'd rather have Naruto stay at her apartment for forever than admit that to Sasuke. Instead, the pink haired girl opted for a "hmph" as she opened the car door.

"In your dreams."

"Why? It's already become a reality."

Damn that smart-alecky mouth of his.

She stared at him.

Damn that smirk.

Damn those eyes.

Damn his godly looks.

Sakura sighed. This wasn't good. She was noticing him as a man when she should note that he was the "victim." He was trying to get information out of her. There was no reason for her to develop any other feelings or curiosity about him. No reason. But… that didn't stop her. So, Sakura used her manners. Or maybe 'manners' was just an excuse for her to….Sakura shook her head. This was purely manners.

"Would you like to come inside?" She knew he was taken back at her invitation. But his smirk came back on his face, and he reached for his car door.

"I was waiting for you to ask that."

* * *

"I'm back!" Sakura yelled once she had led the Uchiha to her apartment. Hinata and Naruto were not in sight. Sakura checked every room before she made her conclusion, her two friends had left to 'hang out.' Okay, maybe her conclusion was based off of the note on the kitchen counter. Big deal. She smiled when she thought of the little 'date' her roommate was on. Hinata must be so psyched.

"What are you smiling at?" Sasuke knocked her out of her reverie. She scowled at him.

"Nothing anymore. You ruined the moment."

"I ruined a moment? You were grinning stupidly at a piece of paper."

"Was not!"

"I'm not going to engage myself in a mediocre disagreement." Her scowl turned into a smirk.

"You're afraid I would win the fight, aren't you?" He scoffed at her remark.

"Uchihas don't downgrade themselves to this." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say."

The pink haired girl made her way to the cabinet.

"Coffee?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes."

She paused for a minute before she spoke again, eyes mischievous.

"Would you like some _sugar_ and _cream _in your cup?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed a bit, recalling the horrid drink she had fixed for him before.

"Regular will be fine." Sakura blinked.

"But I thought you hated regular."

"You thought wrong." Something clicked in Sakura's mind. Scowling, she pointed her finger at the amused Uchiha.

"You made me run around the mansion for nothing!" Sakura accused.

"Hn."

"Do you know how hot those cups were?!"

"Could've grabbed a towel or something."

"I was trying to be fast."

"Hn."

"Don't you 'hn' me! I got three cups for you when all I needed was the first cup?!"

"Hn."

Sakura huffed. What an insufferable man. She regretted inviting him into her apartment. Onyx orbs regarded her curiously.

"Are you going to make the coffee or not?"

_Twitch._

All pity for the man flew out the window. Sakura grabbed a tin can full of coffee beans and shoved it at the man.

"Make your own!" With that, Sakura stormed her way to her room. She could distinctly hear a snigger from behind, and that fueled her even more as she slammed the door to her room.

* * *

After laying down on her bed, Sakura sighed. Manners just went down the drain. She invited him in, then she slammed the door in his face and told him to fix his own drink. Ugh, she was a terrible host. Even if it was to a man like Sasuke Uchiha.

There was a knock on her door.

"Are you going to hide in there forever?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"What's it to you?"

"Coffee's being wasted. A pity."

Sakura sat up in bed. He had made her coffee? Cautiously, she got up from her bed and walked to the door. With a slight creak, the door opened to reveal a smirking Uchiha. He was leaning against the frame of the wall, and there in his hand, was a hot, steaming cup of coffee.

Sakura dumbly pointed at it and then back at herself. Sasuke nodded once, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sakura grabbed the cup with both hands, fumbling, until her fingertips were the only parts that touched the scalding object. She took a small sip. Ahh, now that was some good coffee. It was when she was about to take her second mouthful when she realized that she was being stared at.

"Do you mind?" She snapped. "It's hard for me to drink with your eyes on me."

"Is that any way to thank me for giving you it?" Darn him. He was right, and Sakura twitched involuntarily.

"T….thank you." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Glaring, she saw his smirk grow.

"Thank you." She gritted out.

"What was that again?" Oh, that was it.

"Thanks for nothing, you insufferable jerk!" Sakura was about to slam the door in his face again, when his hand shot out and stopped the door from closing. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"That's not very polite."

"So I'm not an angel, big deal."

"Hn….definitely not an angel." Sasuke muttered to himself. Emerald eyes pierced into him.

"Did you say something?"

"Nope. Are you sure you aren't hallucinating?"

"You know what? I believe it's time for you to leave."

"Oh, now you're kicking me out?" Sakura stopped. Was that remark supposed to hint at the incident at the Uchiha mansion earlier? Sasuke's expression hadn't changed. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"I guess not. You want me to stay, don't you?" That cocky personality of his had really got to go.

"Door. There. Leave. Now." Sakura jabbed her finger to the apartment door.

"In. Denial." Sasuke countered back. It was rather amusing seeing the girl in front of him annoyed. It occurred to Sasuke that for the entire day, the prickly feeling had disappeared. He stared at the bristling girl. Wonder why….

"That's it." Sakura pulled the Uchiha by the arm and dragged him to the door. She had left the cup of coffee on the kitchen counter on the way.

"Bye." She snarled.

He replied by an arch of the eyebrow.

"That means you leave now." Sakura pointed out. She opened the door.

Maybe it was bad luck. Maybe it was karma since she hadn't acted as a proper host. But at that moment, when the door opened, it was really a stroke of misfortune. Because in came Ino and Tenten, still unaware that the door was ajar.

"What do you think Tsunade wants this time?" Sasuke involuntarily tensed at Ino's words. So these two girls were back. And now he was certain that this Tsunade person was a big part in Sakura's secret. In all of their secrets. He noticed Sakura stiffen beside him.

Sakura was going to smack them. No. She was going to smack herself for opening the door in the first place. Ino and Tenten better not reveal anything else. Sakura opened her mouth, but Tenten beat her to it.

"Probably another mission. Or maybe it's something about the last one we completed." This time, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Mission? What were they talking about? The last one they completed…Sasuke was fairly certain that they were talking about the stolen blueprint. His suspicions were confirmed when Sakura spoke up and cut off the two girls' conversation.

"Wow. What a surprise that you two would come." Sakura said, a bit overly loud, as she finally caught her friends' attention. She swung the door open so they could see Sasuke. Both girls tensed and Ino's eyes widened. Her orbs immediately directed themselves to Sakura. A telepathic 'sorry' was sent. Sakura sent over a 'no use crying over spilt milk.' Ino turned her gaze to Sasuke.

"What were you talking about?" Sasuke asked before any of them could speak.

"None of your business." Replied Tenten.

"I'm afraid it is my business. The last mission had something to do with my family, didn't it?" Sakura cursed Sasuke's smartness. It would have been easier for them if he had been dumb and didn't figure out things.

"You guys stole my blueprint." Accused the man as he narrowed his eyes further.

"Still harassing us girls, are you?" Tenten snapped back. Ino was at her side, still a bit uncomfortable with his presence.

Something happened at that moment because all of a sudden, Sasuke relaxed. His posture slouched slightly as he smirked. He turned to look at Sakura.

"Thanks for letting me come in. It has been a …pleasure." Eyes flickering nervously, Sakura gulped.

"Sure. Pleasure, yeah."

Still smirking, Sasuke looked back to Ino and Tenten.

"Nice seeing you two _again_." And then he left. Sasuke squeezed in between the two girls and walked out. Once they were sure he was out of sight, the two girls stared at a confused Sakura.

"You invited him to your apartment?" Tenten asked, incredulously. "Do you know how bad that is? What if Tsunade found out?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure she'll find out now since you guys mentioned her name in front of him." Sakura replied dryly.

"Oh my god. What are we going to do?" Ino's cerulean eyes flashed with worry.

"Run away to a different country." Concluded Tenten. And despite of the situation, all three girls laughed. But it was tense, the sound that came out of their mouths resembled girls that were ready to face punishment.

* * *

Sasuke slid back into his convertible. That visit was quite fortunate for him. He knew what leads to follow now. Finally, he was one step closer to getting back his blueprint and revealing Sakura's secret. A secret that would change everything. This time, he wasn't surprised to feel a weird sensation overcome him. The prickly feeling had come back.

* * *

There goes Chapter 6!

I'll keep things short and simple this time.

**Vote!**

Preview of the next chapter:

_Chapter Seven: Digging the Truth_

_Itachi would have laughed at the situation._

_Laughed out loud. But he didn't. Because, well, because he was Itachi Uchiha. And Itachi did not laugh. But he could snicker._

_And snicker he did._

_Sasuke and Sakura stood in front of him. One of his brother's hand was draped around the girl's waist._

_The two stood rather close. _

_Sakura's head was against his shoulder._

_A picture perfect couple._

_"What the hell are you looking at?"_

_Itachi looked into his brother's flashing orbs._

_"Your girlfriend."_

_He waited for a biting comeback._

_But...it didn't come._

r&r and again, VOTE! It'll make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


	7. Digging the Truth

First off, sorry for the slight delay. I have other ideas brewing in my head that I'm testing out, and Word temporarily died on me. This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest, but I will make sure the next chapter is longer. We are coming close to an end to this story. Thank you to all of my readers. There will be about two or three chapters left. Without further ado, here is chapter seven.

**Words: **3854

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

**Chapter Seven—Digging the Truth**

"We're dead." Ino proclaimed dramatically as she plopped herself down on the couch in Sakura's apartment. Tenten sighed as she settled herself down beside the blonde.

"You're not. I am." Sakura corrected. "I'll be buried ten feet under. Tsunade will spare the two of you."

"Do you really think he'll go see Tsunade?"

"Positive."

Another sigh.

"By the way…" Ino flashed her eyes to Sakura with a mischievous grin. "Why was he in your apartment?" Tenten sat forward a bit. Her eyes flashed the same way as Ino's.

"Yes, Sakura. What _was_ he doing here?" Sakura huffed. This was great. Not only was their secret about to be exploited, her friends were now accusing her of fraternizing with the enemy. Simply perfect…

"Manners."

"Manners?" Echoed the two girls in confusion.

"Mhm." Sakura confirmed. "He drove me back to my place so I used my manners and invited him in." Tenten and Ino shared a look. A look that didn't escape Sakura's eyes.

"What?" The pink haired girl questioned on guard. Her friends' expressions were not very reassuring.

"So you guys hitched a ride together. Then stayed in the same room together." Ino concluded.

"How come you can make nothing sound like a make-out session?" Sakura countered dryly.

"It's a gift." Tenten chuckled on the side. Then she directed her gaze towards Sakura.

"But now, things are going to change. Are you ready?" Sakura gulped.

Truth? She was totally _not _ready.

* * *

Itachi strolled down the halls with Shisui. They were supposed to be doing work. This was just a temporary break…that might last for a while. Shisui observed the stoic Uchiha next to him. Itachi didn't seem to have changed. Shisui wondered about Sasuke. Now he _did_ change.

It had been exactly two days without any word from the younger Uchiha. Which to Shisui meant, no chores. Bizarre. He was starting to wonder if Sasuke had been brainwashed. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seen the ice cube of a guy in the mansion lately. What was he up to? Shisui thought about the possibilities. Thinking of more tasks to complete and assigning him more chores seemed to be a likely excuse. But then, Sasuke usually didn't dwindle on these types of things for very long. Two days time was just exceeding the time limit. Well now, the only way to know where Sasuke was without having the Uchiha know about it, was to… Shisui shifted his gaze to Itachi. He _was_ his brother, after all.

"Say, weasel, where's that brother of yours lately?" He received a sharp glare.

"Do not call me weasel."

"Why not? That's what your name means." Shisui grinned. "Quite fitting."

"Shisui." Itachi gave his cousin one of his death stares. They had stopped walking, and Itachi had cornered the other Uchiha into the wall. "If you dare call me weasel one more time, my brother will not be the only one that you will fear." A smirk. "There are plenty of tasks to be completed in the mansion. And I'm afraid, no matter how many maids we have, we could always use more help." Shisui gulped. Sasuke and Itachi were more similar than they thought.

"You're quite cruel."

"So I've been told." Itachi stepped away from Shisui and continued walking as if nothing had happened. The other Uchiha groaned.

Why in the world was he born to the Uchiha family?

* * *

Sasuke drove his car away from Sakura's apartment. It was time to go visit Tsunade. His left hand grasped the wheel as his other hand grabbed the piece of paper with the address scribbled on it. Itachi had done something useful for Sasuke for once.

After a few twists and turns, his sleek black car parked in front of a rundown old building. He double checked the address. This was the place. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke looked around. This part of the city was vacant. The 'downgraded' half. His nose scrunched up in discontent. If this wasn't such an extreme problem, he wouldn't have been caught dead in this place. It reeked of litter, and the air was musty with air pollution. It was a dump. Sighing, Sasuke approached the door of the building. It was now or never. And cautiously, he opened the door and stepped in.

The first thing Sasuke noticed was that the ground floor was just as dirty as outside. How pleasant. Rounding off to the other side, he ascended on the stairs to the second floor. It wasn't a surprise that this floor was just as messy. Sasuke was beginning to wonder if Itachi had given him the right address. There seemed to be no sign of anyone staying in the vicinity.

Since he already traveled this far, he might as well just search the entire building. And the only way to go, was up. Sasuke climbed up the stairs again.

Third floor.

_Trashy._

Fourth floor.

_Whoa, did the spiders have a party in here? _Sasuke brushed the cobwebs away from his face with a disgruntled expression.

Fifth floor.

_Smelled like a bathroom. Enough said._

Sixth floor.

_Dusty, and Sasuke was glad he didn't have allergies._

Seventh floor.

_Wow, this was one tall building._

Eighth floor.

_There was really nothing to see. He was just wasting his time. _

Ninth floor.

_He really should go down now._

Tenth floor.

_Old lady glaring at him. Ok, time to go. _

…

_Pause. Rewind._

Sasuke stared at the woman piercing holes in his being. There was someone here. Someone actually lived in this dump? His eyes glanced over the room. It was like an attic, one single room on a floor. And surprisingly, his eyebrows arched, this place was clean. Piles of paper were stacked up against the wall. Two bookcases stood off to the side. A big, mahogany desk rested in the corner, farthest from the window. Speaking of the window, it was the only thing that was filthy. Grime and a black substance covered the area. Sasuke supposed that the purpose was so that those outside wouldn't be able to see inside. Plus, the dirtiness matched with the rest of the area. This lady was in hiding. Which meant, he redirected his gaze to the woman that seemed perplexed, angry, amused, and haughty at the same time, she was Tsunade. Oh boy. Sasuke noticed the familiar gleam in her eyes. Another tough girl to handle. Never mind, old lady, he meant.

"Who are you?" A brisk, crisp, business like voice rang out.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He watched with satisfaction when he saw her eyes widen slightly in surprise. "You're Tsunade, I presume." She smirked.

"Uchihas really are smart." Her eyes glared. "What do you want?"

"My blueprint back." He countered coolly.

"Too bad. I don't have it."

"Then who does?"

"It's gone. Vanished. Disappeared. Nowhere to be found. Get the picture?" Sasuke almost snarled at the amused lady. Why were these women so hard to handle?

"Then answer something else."

"What do you want to know?"

"Who is Sakura Haruno?" Sasuke waited, tightlipped, for Tsunade to reply.

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because I can reveal everything." He noticed her eyes darken, and he thought he heard her mutter.

"_Damn these smart Uchihas." _Sasuke smirked. He was getting under her skin. Perfect.

"Tell me all there is to know about her."

"…She's a…" He noticed how the lady was struggling to find the words to say.

"She's a …?" He prompted her.

"Spy."

"Sakura's a spy." Sasuke tried to say it. He needed it to sink in. He already knew that she was different, but he hadn't necessarily thought that she would be a spy.

"For how long?"

"Ever since the…"

"Accident?" Sasuke remembered what Itachi had found out. "The car accident that _'killed'_ her, Ino, and Tenten?" Tsunade smirked wider.

"Sounds like you already know everything."

"Tell me more."

"Nothing more to tell." Sasuke sent her a glare.

"Fine. But I'm not leaving until I know where my blueprint is." He stated, stonily. There would be no budging. There was a twinkle in the woman's eyes, and he didn't miss it.

"How about a proposal, Uchiha?"

"I'm afraid I'm a bit younger than you." He replied with a smirk. Sasuke couldn't help it. His cockiness had to come out eventually.

"Not marriage. Business proposal." Tsunade was unfazed.

"Keep talking."

"Sakura's mission, the stealing of your blueprint….there's a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Her orbs flashed.

"Suspicious activities dealing with our employer."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I thought you'd want this." A rolled up document was lifted from behind the desk to Sasuke's view. He visibly stiffened.

"You told me you didn't have it."

"And you actually believed that?" Tsunade chuckled. "And I thought you were smart…" Teeth gritted, he replied, eyes trained on the blueprint.

"What do I need to do?" Sasuke could have sworn that her lips twitched up in a mischievous smirk. Groaning, he stayed tensed. Just perfect…

* * *

Sakura was confused. Why was Sasuke outside her apartment? She had been preparing to leave to go the Uchiha mansion for day three of her 'oh so pleasant week as a maid.' She had actually been on time today. No need to rush. So when Sakura walked outside to see Sasuke leaned against his car, she was quite reluctant to move. What was his plan now?

His eyes met hers, and she was vaguely surprised to realize that he didn't smirk. Sasuke didn't say anything, just nodded towards the car as a motion for her to get in. Seeing no point to argue, Sakura complied. Sliding into the leather seats, she was aware that Sasuke had something to say. He was just taking his sweet time staying quiet before then.

"To what do I earn the pleasure of getting a ride?" Sakura started the conversation, for fear of the silence lasting any longer.

"I know everything." Her eyes widened at the stoic man still intent on driving. His eyes were focused on the road.

"E..everything?" She hated the fact that she stuttered.

"Hn."

"You met Tsunade." Sakura stated, mutely. She really was going to get sliced and diced.

"Hn."

"What now?" Sasuke took his time in answering.

"There's a plan."

"A plan?" Sakura questioned. He was taking the truth rather well. And shockingly, she relaxed.

The car eased to a stop at the red light. Sasuke took this time to turn to look at Sakura. His gaze was intense as she gulped.

"Sakura, we need to act as a couple." The girl blinked.

"W..what?" Sasuke sighed. He looked back to the road and started the car again. His mind traveled back to the conversation he had with Tsunade.

* * *

"_As you know, Sakura is a spy. Our agency has made sure that her past was erased so we arranged her 'death' in the car accident along with the other two girls. She's supposed to be keeping her distance from you, but…" Tsunade pursed her lips. "She didn't." Sasuke was oddly pleased with the fact. _

"_Our employer was Orochimaru. Do you know of him?" Sasuke pried into his memory._

"_Vaguely. I believe he dealt business with my father before."_

"_Mhm. He's supposed to have the blueprint right now, but we're suspicious of his motive and actions."_

"_What makes you think that?"_

"_Some spies have been tailing him, and according to the reports, he's bad news. And besides…" Tsunade waved her hand nonchalantly in the air. "He's a creep." Sasuke smirked. He might actually be able to get along with this lady._

"_So you're planning to give my blueprint to a creep." He stated. Tsunade narrowed her eyes._

"_Haven't you been listening? I have a plan to foil his …well whatever he's doing. It's Orochimaru so it won't be any good." Sasuke understood this lady. And he had a half a mind to brand her as crazy too._

"_What's your plan?" So like an Uchiha. Straight to the point._

"_First things first, you and Sakura must be as close as possible the next few days."_

"_How come?"_

"_You two will be partners. So close contact is essential."_

"_What are you saying?" The old lady had on a sly smile. Oh, beware Sasuke, beware._

"_The best way without anyone suspecting anything will be if you two pose as a couple." Sasuke smirked. That wasn't as bad of a plan as he had thought. _

"_Can you pull that off, Uchiha?"_

"_Hn."_

"_I'll take that as a yes." _

"_Go to the address of your plot of land. See if there are any suspicious activities. You're there so even if you're caught, you can say that you want to check out the land. Best to not be seen, though."_

"_Hn."_

"_Go tomorrow."_

"_Hn."_

"_I'm taking all of this as a yes. Good luck." There was a glint in Tsunade's eyes that made Sasuke want to leave as soon as possible. He had gotten the information that he wanted. And now somehow, he was warped up in Sakura's business too. Right before he left the room, Sasuke heard the lady speak again._

"_Welcome to the agency, Mr. Uchiha."_

"_Aa." With that, he left._

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You know everything. We need to act like we're going out. Somehow, you're in the agency. And we need to stakeout at a vacant plot of land to spot Orochimaru." Sakura spoke slowly, absorbing the information. "Wow. Didn't see that coming."

Sasuke stayed quiet. The pink haired girl looked at his face. She was surprised to see that it was calm and relaxed. Did he harbor no hard feelings towards her? Wasn't he upset that she had deceived him? But then again, Sakura thought mentally, he had already known from the start that she was lying. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Why are we going to the Uchiha mansion then?" He spoke in that usual stoic tone of his.

"I didn't go home last night. If I don't show up again, they'll start to worry. We'll go to the land later tonight." Sakura nodded.

"Then where did you sleep last night?" Sasuke tilted his head back. Sakura gaped at him.

"You slept in the car?!" He quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Just didn't think someone as 'high and mighty' as you would do such a lowly thing."

"Hn." Sakura smiled as she turned her gaze to the window. She was a spy for most of her life. Acting really shouldn't be a problem. Acting to be Sasuke's lover, she inwardly smirked, might actually be easy.

Sasuke noticed the pleasant aura surrounding Sakura. Guess she was over the sleeping in the car thing. He smirked. He really hadn't spoken all of the truth. Sasuke really _had_ slept in the car. But he had slept in a car that was parked in front of her apartment. Oh well, she really didn't have to know.

* * *

After a bit more driving, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at the mansion. They both got out and headed towards the main door. Sakura took a deep breath. Let the acting commence.

The two walked inside the building and began to head up to the study. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed at their close proximity. Standing next to such a good looking person almost made her feel as giddy as a school girl. She rolled her eyes. Those days were long gone.

Sasuke led her upstairs. They stopped at the study room door. Sasuke's hand was already on the doorknob when he paused his movements.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Someone's coming." His movements were so fast that Sakura couldn't even see them. The next thing she knew, his arm was around her waist and they had gotten closer than ever. Unconsciously, her head leaned a bit on his shoulder. Sasuke smirked.

Down the hallway, they saw Itachi and Shisui walking over. Sakura tried to stop her beating heart. Sasuke probably already noticed its fast rhythm, but she had to act now. Time to stay composed. Time to be relaxed. Time to lie.

Itachi would have laughed at the situation.

Laughed out loud. But he didn't. Because, well, because he was Itachi Uchiha. And Itachi did not laugh. But he could snicker.

And snicker he did.

Sasuke and Sakura stood in front of him. One of his brother's hand was draped around the girl's waist.

The two stood rather close.

Sakura's head was against his shoulder.

A picture perfect couple.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

Itachi looked into his brother's flashing orbs.

"Your girlfriend."

He waited for a biting comeback.

But...it didn't come.

Itachi's eyes twinkled with amusement. This was quite different than what he had expected. After all, they had been arguing just the day before. And now, they were a couple? Something was up. He could feel it.

If he wasn't Itachi Uchiha, the genius, then he would act more like a clueless person. He might've thought that they were actually going out. Or he would gawk at them and question the two on how this came to be. To put it more simply, if Itachi wasn't a prodigy, then he would've acted exactly like Shisui.

"You are dating?!" The male practically screeched. Itachi mentally rolled his eyes. His cousin wasn't the sharpest needle in the haystack.

"Are you blind? Can't you tell?" The biting remarks were back.

"But..I thought." Shisui's eyes traveled to Sakura who, under Itachi's scrutiny, fidgeted. "I thought you hated him!" Sasuke twitched involuntarily.

"Well, I stopped." That was lame. Sakura knew it, and she mentally sighed. She better start acting better.

"I think I'm dreaming…a horrible dream…" Shisui whispered softly. He seemed to be in a daze. Sakura stared at him worriedly. The man was sweet and nice, but he seemed a bit dense at the moment.

"Are you ok?" She asked cautiously. Sasuke and Itachi rolled their eyes. She was obviously unaware of Shisui's habits.

"This is a nightmare!" Shisui turned to Sasuke. "You better treat her right! She's not something you can just order around like you do to me!" Sasuke was unfazed by his remark. Just let him ramble. Then Shisui turned back to the girl. "Sakura…I feel sorry for you." Sakura gave him a wry smile. At least he was starting to calm down.

"We should go now." Sasuke tugged at her arm to try to lead her away. Shisui was beginning to get on his nerves. They might as well go to that plot of land now. A voice halted Sasuke.

"You will go nowhere." Sasuke mentally groaned and looked to his side. Low and behold, Fugaku stood in his usual strict manner. He strode over in quick angry strides.

"Father, Sakura and I have business to deal with." Fugaku's eyes lingered on their intertwined arms.

"Seems to me like you didn't heed my warning." His steely eyes directed them to Sakura. The power this man had was amazing. She wanted to look anywhere but at him. However, the harsh old man held her gaze.

"What are you after? Money?" Sakura was fired up now. How dare he accuse her of using personal attachments for her own use? As angry as she was with the old man in front of her, she could feel the tightening of Sasuke's hand around her own.

"You have no right to say that to her, father." Sakura was mildly surprised when she heard the slight waver in his usual stoic voice. It held anger and irritation. She looked up at his face which did now show any emotion, but his eyes were hard. Was he actually going to go against his father? For her? The school girl giddy feeling was coming back.

"You have no use for her."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"She'll just use you."

"Then I like being used." Sasuke was protecting her. Sakura tightened her hand around his in encouragement and thanks. A smirk appeared on his face.

"I must leave now."

"You will do no such thing." The old man was grating on Sakura's last nerves.

"You can't control me, father." Sasuke's voice had grown soft but still hard. He pulled Sakura by the hand to leave. She scurried after him, and they were about a couple of steps behind Fugaku when the old man spoke again. His voice had gone up, shaking with authority.

"You will run the Uchiha Corp. when I retire. Until then, you must behave accordingly! If you take one more step, I'll leave the company to someone else!" Sasuke put on a wry smirk as he turned around to look at his angry father, stoic brother, and thoughtful cousin.

"I never wanted to become the head anyways." With that, he tugged Sakura along with him as the two left the building.

* * *

Itachii cursed his timing. He should have left when they had been talking. Now he was stuck with a fuming father and an awed Shisui. Amusement was gone, and now, his father was going to take it out on him. Nice going, Sasuke.

"I want you to follow him, Itachi." Came a voice that was shaking with fury. "Follow him and bring him back." Itachi sighed. Since Sasuke was able to voice out his opinions, he might as well do the same. There was no use for him to avoid them.

"I believe he can do as he wish." Fugaku rounded on his eldest son. Eyes were balls of fury. Shisui looked at Itachi as well.

"Are you disobeying me as well?"

"No, just merely stating my opinion. Come on, Shisui." Itachi nonchalantly led his cousin away.

Fugaku stood shaking. Were these really his two sons?

* * *

Shisui looked at the stoic face of Itachi. Maybe he had changed too.

"Where are we going?" A smirk quirked up on the male's face.

"To follow Sasuke and Sakura." Shisui was taken back.

"But I thought you weren't going to do that!" Itachi calmly replied.

"I said I wasn't going to tail him for father. It doesn't mean that I don't want to see where he's going." Shisui rolled his eyes as he followed his cousin. No change at all. Same old sadistic Itachi.

"Hurry up."

"You're walking too fast, weasel!"

"What did I say about the nickname?" Shisui grinned.

He wouldn't want his cousin to be any other way.

* * *

**A/N: **Throughout this fic, I've had Itachi and Sasuke call Fugaku 'father.' And I've mistakingly typed 'dad' in my rough copies. It was quite a hassel to change all those 'dads' into 'fathers'. For some reason I can't see either brother calling Fugaku by any other name. This was quite a useless ramble, but I just felt like typing it. :3

Oh, and check out my new fic 'Deja vu.' It's my next focus.

Preview of the next chapter:

_Chapter Eight: Caught Red-handed_

_Sakura's breath came out in shallow gasps. _

_She watched the men pile boxes on top of each other. Guards heavy with weapons stood at every corner, blocking intruders such as herself._

_Good thing Sasuke was here with her or else she might've been caught. He had found the hiding place in the woods after all._

_She directed her gaze back to the men. All of them were buff. It would be hard to take them down._

_Beams of light from flashlights roamed the area. The darkness from the night covered Sasuke and Sakura well._

_"What should we do?" Her voice was raspy with worry as she whispered._

_"Calling for backup would be best." Sasuke answered. The two got ready to move when a shrill voice caused them to see what had caused the commotion._

_There, standing in the middle of the plot of land with guards surrounding him was Shisui._

r&r pwease


	8. Caught Redhanded

I've decided to end this story at ten chapters. The next chapter will be the climax. So look forward to it!

**Words: **3290

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me.

* * *

**Chapter Eight – Caught Red-handed**

Sakura followed Sasuke out of the Uchiha mansion and into the car. Her chest was heaving from the pace they had kept while leaving. She looked over to Sasuke as he started the car. His dark bangs forbade her to see his orbs, but the way his shoulders slackened and the way his hands were gripped loosely around the wheel, Sakura deducted that he was at ease. Feeling a little proud, she settled for a slight smile on her face. Sasuke was finally free.

"Don't start daydreaming." His stoic voice interrupted her. She scowled at him. He just had to ruin the moment.

"I am not." Sakura retorted as they sped past the Uchiha gate. "I'm merely wondering how we're going to hide ourselves once we get there."

"We'll see once we're there." Sakura nodded. They had to observe the area first. If there were trees, they were safe. If it was just land, they stuck out like two idiots wanting to get killed. This mission was a do or die. Thanks Tsunade, she thought wryly.

Then again, why did Tsunade accept Sasuke so easily? Sakura looked back at the man concentrating on the road. He was good looking, but that wouldn't shake Tsunade. She was so stubborn and could get fired up easily. So does that mean…She observed him a bit closer. Did Sasuke have potential?

"Checking someone out at this time is quite useless." Once again, his voice shattered her thoughts. Growling, she directed her gaze to the window. He absolutely had no potential at all! Her eyes inadvertently looked into the side view mirrors. There was a sleek black car behind. Sakura squinted at it, and she could have sworn she saw Shisui poke his head out from the window. Startled, Sakura watched as someone pulled the male back into the car. Whipping her head fast to turn around, Sakura stuck her head out of the window and looked back. The black car was nowhere in sight. Unsettled, she plopped back into her seat. Was that just her imagination?

"We're here." Thoughts were dashed out of Sakura's head as she stiffened immediately. Spies could never afford to linger on trivial thoughts. She scanned the area. Barren land covered most of the place but there were a few trees and bushes scattered around. They would be able to hide. Sakura was confused when Sasuke drove past the plot of land.

"What are you doing?"

"We need to hide the car somewhere. If we leave it there, then it's just telling them that someone's here." Sasuke calmly explained. Disgruntled, Sakura agreed. Something was ticking her off. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to be better at this spy stuff than she was. Sakura was determined to show him how it was really done. The way of the spy.

After parking the car in an inconspicuous spot in front of a store, the two got out and sneakily went back to the plot of land to hide in the bushes. Both crept silently, wary of their step, as they made their way closer to the center of the land.

* * *

"What in the world are they doing?" Shisui remarked as he watched Sasuke and Sakura through the front view mirrors of the car. "If they wanted privacy then they could've just…" Itachi fixed his cousin with a glare. Shisui sighed.

"I didn't want to tail them in the first place…" he mumbled. Itachi snorted. He knew very well that the male would've came with him even if he didn't ask.

"Should we follow those two?" Itachi shook his head slightly.

"Wait. If they don't come out within thirty minutes, we go in." Shisui rolled his eyes. The weasel made it sound as if they were on some life-threatening mission. And just great, he gets to spend a half hour with the unfeeling male next to him. A perfect way to start the day…

* * *

Sakura cringed as a twig under her foot snapped in two. Sasuke's head immediately whipped around to give her a glare. She returned the hardened gesture. Everyone makes a mistake at some point.

The two were crouched down, moving on the toes of their feet to insure their speed and decrease any sounds. Sasuke was in front with Sakura behind. The guy was pretty good at sneaking, she'll give him credit for that.

Suddenly, Sasuke halted in his movements, causing Sakura to bump into him slightly from the abrupt stop.

"What is it?" She hissed out in a harsh whisper.

"There's people here." Came his soft and calm voice. Ok, he was pretty good at keeping his emotions in check. Fine, it still didn't mean that he was better than her at this.

Slowly, Sakura stood up a little so she could see from behind Sasuke's shoulder. They had come a pretty far way into the plot of land, and it was rather dark. Flashlights held by guards roamed around the place. Thankfully, nowhere near where they were currently hiding. Boxes were strewn on the ground, and Sakura was quite puzzled at the reason. There was definitely something fishy going on here, the heavy armed men told her that much. Sakura looked at the glint of guns looped on their belts. But there seemed to be no big reason for the guarding. There were just boxes. The real question was, what was inside them?

A flash of light caught Sakura's eye, and she panicked, noticing that it was coming her way. A rough hand landed on her shoulder and dragged her down to the ground. Unable to gain balance with the added force, Sakura fell down on the ground with a small plop. Dark and stern orbs narrowed at her fallen form.

"Are you sure you're a spy?" His taunting note sparked a fire within Sakura. She glared at him with equal fever. A sculpted eyebrow arched at her in amusement.

"Just get moving." She mumbled, adverting her eyes to the ground. That was a total embarrassment, and she fought down a hot blush. Sakura felt a slight change in form in Sasuke as he looked away from her and directed his gaze back to the action happening in the center of the barren land. Sakura was surprised when his hand fumbled in the darkness to lock hold on hers and guided her through the bushes to find a better viewing area. Without much thought, she followed him. Such a warm hand…

Sasuke found a tall tree next to some overgrown bushes and the two settled behind them. Sakura poked her head through the thicket while Sasuke stood and hid behind the darkness shadowed by the tree.

"Any clue on what they're doing?" Sakura questioned the male without looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on those boxes.

"Guarding so far. I don't think any action is going on."

"I guess now we wait."

"For once, you guess right." Sakura scowled. She was getting teased on a mission. Sasuke would never quit it, would he?

And there, the two stayed, hidden by the darkness, as they waited for something to happen.

* * *

Shisui checked the clock for the umpteenth time. It's been two hours already. He looked at the bored Itachi.

"Why are we still in the car?" Shisui questioned the Uchiha. "Didn't you say that we had to wait for only thirty minutes? Why am I still sitting with you, wea…" He was met with a stern glare. Shisui scrunched up his face in distaste. "I need some fresh air." With that, he opened the car door and practically jumped out. Closing the door behind him, he began to saunter over to the plot of land where Sasuke and Sakura had disappeared to.

Itachi watched his cousin in distaste. Did Shisui not recognize the severity of the situation? The two that had vanished were probably up to no good. Itachi, being the genius that he was, deduced that something was seriously wrong. He already knew that Sakura was no ordinary girl. And the past few days, Sasuke had been spending a lot of time with her. Was he warped up in the girl's business now?

Itachi had half a mind to call the police, but then he thought against it. The police would cause a ruckus that was not necessary. It might give the Uchihas a bad reputation and jeapordize Sasuke, Sakura, and now, Shisui.

With a sigh, Itachi counted by the minutes since Shisui walked out of sight. Precisely five minutes. He opened the car door and made his way to the land. There had been plenty of time for Shisui to get into trouble.

* * *

Sakura was usually calm and collected on missions. She knew what to do and when to do it. The only time when she wasn't so sure of her actions was when she had to wait. Like the situation she was in now. Sakura absolutely detested waiting. If the bad guys were going to plot something, they might as well do it quickly so she could give them a whooping. But when they took their sweet old time doing it, let's just say Sakura was not a very patient person. Add a show off Uchiha next to her side, and she hated the situation even more.

So when she heard the sound of voices conversing, Sakura almost leapt out in joy. Finally, there was something interesting going on! Her eyes scanned the area until she came across an ugly old man with pale skin. The dark menacing orbs gleamed in the very little light there was. His tongue flickered out every once in a while as he wore that amused and sickly expression. Orochimaru, Sakura thought with disgust. She felt Sasuke stiffen beside her. He had recognized the man too.

Orochimaru had called one of the men to him. Sakura strained to hear their conversation.

"Plans…ready……tonight?" She could only hear a few snippets. Judging from Sasuke's frustrated expression, Sakura assumed it was the same for him. She continued to listen closely as the other male spoke.

"All…..order…secretly." The male motioned his hands towards the piles of boxes. Orochimaru shook his head slightly with that amused look. Sakura caught the meaning without him having to say anything. Whatever they were talking about, Orochimaru had deemed it 'not enough.'

"Weapons…..no more room…..Uchiha's blueprint." The other male spoke again, with hopes of calming Orochimaru's frazzled nerves. Sasuke straightened even more, and Sakura wished desperately to be closer to the two men.

"No mistakes……soon…..to work." Orochimaru seemingly ordered the men. Quickly, more workers came into sight to carry more boxes to the land. Sakura noticed one male in particular who seemed to have a hard time balancing the heavy material stuffed inside. He began to wobble around, but no one else had paid any attention yet. His shoe caught the side of a rock, and now completely unbalanced, the box flew out of his hands and landed with a hard thump on the ground. The jagged rocks tore a hole on the box, and Sakura gasped as she saw guns, knives, and other weapons spill out onto the floor. All of these boxes stored artillery?

Sakura saw the man talking to Orochimaru howl with frustration and watched as he began to discipline the clumsy worker. After jabbing a finger back towards where the other boxes sat, the male went back to Orochimaru with a big fake grin plastered on. He shook his hands about as if to signal the fact that he had nothing to do with slight mishap. Orochimaru smirked slightly, and Sakura shivered involuntarily. She had stated that she had hated the man before. Now she was positive. This man wasn't even human. He was some sort of demon with a wicked sense of humor that was usually let out through watching someone else's pain.

Orochimaru opened his mouth, and that disgusting tongue of his sweeped over his lips.

"Done……market…..sell for profit." The man slithered out with his tongue. Sakura furrowed up her brow. Market? Her eyes widened. As in black market?! The truth dawned on her. Orochimaru was planning to sneak counterfeit weapons to the black market. She looked over to Sasuke whom was staring at her as well. Both knew each other's thoughts, and unconsciously nodded. Sakura bit her lip. Orochimaru had to be stopped. The only question was, how.

Sakura's breath came out in shallow gasps.

She watched the men pile boxes on top of each other. Guards heavy with weapons stood at every corner, blocking intruders such as herself.

Good thing Sasuke was here with her or else she might've been caught. He had found the hiding place in the woods after all.

She directed her gaze back to the men. All of them were buff. It would be hard to take them down.

Beams of light from flashlights roamed the area. The darkness from the night covered Sasuke and Sakura well.

"What should we do?" Her voice was raspy with worry as she whispered.

"Calling for backup would be best." Sasuke answered. The two got ready to move when a shrill voice caused them to see what had caused the commotion.

There, standing in the middle of the plot of land with guards surrounding him was Shisui.

* * *

Shisui was in a foul mood. He was supposed to find Sasuke and Sakura, interrogate them, and then drag them back into Itachi's car. He was just curious. Besides, was it a crime to want to leave Itachi?

He had walked through the open plot of land and had looked around for any flash of pink. Sasuke's hair color would blend right in with the darkness.

As Shisui walked farther inside, darkness overcame him. He could see absolutely nothing. He extended his arms in front of him, with hands wide open in hopes of finding something stable to hold on to. Walking blindly in a seemingly deserted land surrounded by forest was not something he had expected to do when he woke up that morning. Yet here he was. A blind mouse bumping into trees and making a complete fool of himself.

Shisui contemplated about turning back to return to that car with the stoic Uchiha inside. But his sense of direction was already disorientated. He failed horribly at walking in a straight line, often leaning off to the side, wobbling uncontrollably.

He closed his eyes and found that it helped ease the dizzying feeling pooling in the pits of his stomach. It was dark anyways so he kept his lids shut.

He was walking straight, he thought. Finally able to keep his feet stable. That is, until his foot bumped into something hard and unmoving. The immediate halt caught Shisui unaware, and he found himself falling face forward onto the ground. His right leg was on top of the object he had tripped, and all of a sudden, Shisui found that there were lights and that he could see.

The first thing he noticed was how his face was grimy with dirt. He brushed himself off and got up. The second thing he saw was the horrid object that had caused him the fall. A big bulky box was overturned, and Shisui saw some metal peering through the open slit. He would have examined it farther, if not for the fact that in that second, his arms were pulled behind him harshly, and a big, muscular, beefy arm hooked itself around his throat, choking the air out of his windpipe. Shisui desperately gasped for breath as he clawed at the metal arm around him.

"Well, what do we have here?" The male behind him chuckled darkly. Shisui could smell the scent of sweat on the man, and he wished that he had used deodorant.

The arm around his neck loosened slightly. It was no longer in breaking neck mode, but it still posed as a threat since it sat right in front of Shisui's throat as a warning. If he tried to escape, he could say bye-bye to his neck.

"Who are you?" His captor snarled.

"S..Shisui." He couldn't help the slight stutter. Unconsciously, he wondered if Sasuke and Sakura were in a similar situation.

"Don't you have a last name, you lil twerp?"

"…" Shisui didn't reply at first. Revealing that he was a Uchiha might not be the best idea.

"Are you deaf? Answer the question!" The slight increase in volume of tone in Shisui's captor caught others' attention. Pretty soon, three flashlights were directed onto the nervous Uchiha, and a bunch of buff guards surrounded him.

Shisui gulped. This was not good.

* * *

Itachi pocketed the cell phone into his jacket. Sighing, he cautiously made his way into the forest. Carefully not losing sight of the plot of land in the middle, he snuck behind bushes and trees, and went deeper into the forest.

At one point, there was complete darkness, and Itachi found that he could not make out a thing. After thinking, he took out his cell again and used the LCD light to guide his way. Smirking at his useful resource, Itachi noticed a handful of lights in a circle up ahead.

Sneaking even more quietly along the sides, Itachi crouched below a bush. His eyes were trained on his cousin that was getting his hands tied together. Geez, Shisui really was more trouble than he was worth.

Itachi looked around the landscape. There were boxes littered on the floor, and burly men either keeping watch or moving the boxes to and fro. A flash of pink caught his eye.

Who exactly was Sakura Haruno?

The older Uchiha looked back at Shisui.

How troublesome.

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes.

"How could Shisui be here…?" She heard Sasuke growl in annoyance next to her.

"Too nosy for his own good."

"Got a plan?"

"You're the spy." Sakura nodded.

"You stay here and wait until I make my way on the other side. I'll sneak behind the bush right behind Shisui. Once you see me, avert the men's attention so I can cut those ropes bounding his wrists."

"There's a lot of faults in that plan."

"You got something better?" Sakura was met with silence.

"Ok then, see ya on the other side." Sakura got up a little, still wary of keeping herself hidden behind the shrubbery and walked past Sasuke. A warm hand shot up to catch hers again.

Unaware that her breath was caught in her throat, Sakura looked back at the male staring intensely at her.

"Be careful." Sakura saw the worry in his eyes and smiled slightly.

"Remember, _I'm _the spy." She noticed Sasuke bend down to his wrist. She heard something unclasp and felt his hands wrap something cool and leathery around her own wrist.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke clasped the object and made sure it didn't slip from Sakura's slim limb.

"This is a watch that my deceased mother gave me."

"And you're giving it to me….?"

"In your dreams. I want it back." His eyes flashed at her. "So you better not lose it and give it back to me, _in person_." Sakura blushed slightly, understanding his implication.

"You should know me by now." Her head was already whipped around in the other direction. "I don't like to owe people." And Sakura took off.

* * *

Preview of the next chapter:

_Chapter Nine: When Push Comes to Shove_

_Sakura sawed the rope with the sharp stick harshly. There was no time to waste._

_"Sakura, hurry." Shisui's voice urged her. _

_B__eads of sweat had lined her face._

_"I'm trying."_

_"Hurry."_

_"I said I'm trying!"_

_A strangled scream tore from a familiar voice across the plot of land._

_Sakura's hands halted in shock._

_"Hurry!"_

r&r


	9. When Push Comes to Shove

Alright, I've realized that I haven't updated this story in more than a year. Sorry! My apology probably doesn't cut it, but it amazed me when I looked at my old update dates. How in the world did I update that fast is beyond me. My sasusaku muse is on and off so that probably contributed to the lateness of the conclusion to this fic. And yes, this is the last chapter. I really didn't feel like prolonging it because of the rest of my unfinished stories on this site. This was going to be wrapped up sooner or later anyways.

There was a time period when I forgot all about my stories on this site. Until I checked my email and got various 'reviews' and 'favorites,' that is. I am truly thankful for such diligent readers, and hopefully, I won't be despised by my lack of updates. Arg, enough of this mumbling. Enjoy the last chapter of **CrissCross**!

**Words: **4543

**Disclaimer: **These beloved characters are sadly not mine.

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**Chapter Nine – When Push Comes to Shove**

Sakura darted through the woods silent and swiftly. She was quite lithe for her age and flexible from all those intense training sessions that Tsunade had put her through. She was acutely aware that her feather-like footsteps would be unheard.

Sakura trained her eyes towards Shisui's direction. She had no clue how the man got himself into such a predicament. The black car following Sasuke and her was probably Shisui and Itachi. She really hadn't been imagining things after all. As she moved, Sakura thought about where Itachi would be. He was very clever so she didn't expect him to be captured. As a matter of fact, he's so clever that he was probably hiding in the shadows at this very moment watching Shisui struggle in amusement. Yes, that was probably right.

She was almost there as she eyed Shisui still in the choke-hold position. His captor had already bounded his hands with rope. Even so, the hand was still around his neck, about to crush his windpipe at any given notice. Her hand lightly fingered Sasuke's watch unconsciously. It was really soft. So that was how leather actually felt. Even something as insignificant as a watch has its own class sometimes. Sakura wondered what she'd get if she sold this, and then immediately dusted the thought away. Sasuke trusted her with his possession. His trust was hard to earn, and she most definitely did not want to lose it at this point in time nor in any time for that matter.

At this thought, she realized that she was practically right behind Shisui. His captor had turned him around and held him by the neck. Fortunately, Shisui was still able to stand, but his legs were wobbling slightly which signaled to Sakura that she had to hurry. It was going to be hard for her to save a grown man, but if she had to carry him while she was kicking butt then that was just going to be impossible.

Shisui's captor began talking to the other men. Sakura realized with relief that they all had lowered their flashlights. That helped her out a lot. She really didn't want anyone to see her darting and saving Shisui. This was just another stroke of luck.

As she snuck behind Shisui, she could feel his salty sweat and hear his labored breathing. Not wanting to scare him yet knowing that she probably didn't have any choice, Sakura poked her finger onto his elbow.

Shisui flinched, but thankfully, it wasn't enough to alert the big oaf of a man holding onto his neck. Shisui's arm slowly slinked farther behind his body, and Sakura thought of something that would alert him as to who was there behind him instead of speaking. Her eyes fell down onto the watch on her wrist. She wearily made Shisui touch the soft, worn out, leather band.

Immediately, his shoulders relaxed. Sakura couldn't believe her luck. Rich people knew brands and worth. Shisui had known that he was touching leather, and in turn, Sasuke's watch at once. Sakura would have laughed at the situation if it wasn't so dire. Shisui was still being choked after all.

She quickly glanced down at the ground for a stick. Something pointy would be able to saw right through the ropes that binded Shisui's arms. If he wasn't tied up, then perhaps he would be of some use in escape. That was a hopeful thought at least.

Sakura's luck increased as she saw a beaten up stick laying on the ground, just a few feet away from her. She quickly darted across and grabbed it as she hopped back into her spot. All of her motions were silent. She prided herself on this. Not to toot her own horn or anything, but she really was an exceptional spy.

Sakura tried to think of a way to get Sasuke's attention so he could distract these burly guards. No options came to her mind of what she could do to catch his attention without catching anybody else's attention as well. Perhaps if she just waited it out, Sasuke would understand and cause a commotion on his own. He was certainly smart enough to come up with this conclusion. Sakura just hoped that she didn't give him too much credit.

* * *

Sasuke waited silently in the shadows of the trees. He tried to maneuver himself so he had a perfect view to see behind Shisui. It was really a shame that the man that held Shisui's neck had to be so burly. Sasuke couldn't see a thing. The man was like a wall. He looked impenetrable as well.

The man didn't know what to think. Was Sakura already there? Did she already make a movement and he missed it? He shook that thought away as quickly as it had came. There was no way that he had missed anything. Sasuke was far too observing to miss something like that.

He continued to gaze at Shisui's expression. The only thing left he could count on was Shisui's lack of control on his facial features. The man was rather expressive with his words and his looks. If Sasuke was patient enough, Shisui would definitely betray the hiding spot of Sakura.

True to his thoughts, Shisui had flinched slightly. Sasuke smirked. He knew his cousin well. He supposed it was time to be a distraction now. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke rubbed his temples. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. Since when was a Uchiha a distraction? They were the main attraction, if anything else.

Leaving his cocky thoughts behind, he pictured Sakura's death glare. She would probably scold him for being so conceited. He didn't really care about her lectures anymore. Sasuke just wanted his leather watch back. Oh, having her safe and sound was good too. The smirk was plastered on his face as he once again pictured her insulted facial expression. She was so easy to rile up.

Sasuke glanced at the men in front of him. There were about ten or so. Most were large so he would have to take out the small, skinny ones first. He took one last deep breath before lunging out into the open. Picking up a stone that was near his foot, Sasuke hurled it towards a man closest to him. The stone struck him square in the jaw, and the man bent over, howling in pain. Well, there was one down.

The other men were surprised at the sudden appearance, but they quickly recovered. Fortunately, Sasuke was quicker. He grabbed several more stones as he began to fling them out in succession. He only missed once so that left three down. Seven more to go. The meaty ones were left to be taken down. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see Orochimaru's openly shocked and outraged face. He shouted some orders which probably meant for the rest of the box movers to attack him because the next thing Sasuke knew, he was being hurtled through the air by some brick wall of a man.

His back collided with a tree in a gross sounding thud. Sasuke slowly stood up and glanced at Shisui's direction. A red head was furiously sawing away at the binds that held his cousin there. Good, at least he wasn't doing all of the work.

Sasuke pushed himself back up and stood up wobbly. She better thank him for all of this abuse he's going through. A nice dinner and a movie would suffice. That thought was thrown out of his mind when he realized that a meaty fist was coming for his face.

* * *

Sakura sawed the rope with the sharp stick harshly. There was no time to waste.

"Sakura, hurry." Shisui's voice urged her.

Beads of sweat had lined her face.

"I'm trying."

"Hurry."

"I said I'm trying!"

A strangled groan tore from a familiar voice across the plot of land. Sakura could recognize Sasuke's voice from anywhere.

Sakura's hands halted in shock.

"Hurry!" Sakura was practically digging her own nails into the ropes in hopes of getting them cut sooner. When the last strands broke free, she hissed out an exclamation. Shisui hooted out in joy as he pumped his fists up as if in victory. His loud action drew attention from the other men that were currently having fun looming over Sasuke.

"Did they just hear me?"

"… Once we're out of here, I'm definitely going to personally introduce you to my fists." Shisui's mouth formed an 'oh'.

"I'm not looking forward to that." He claimed fidgety as some men began to run in their direction.

"You're not going to look forward to this either!" Sakura grunted as she pushed the man in front of her towards the other men. She heard a protest from Shisui before he began grunting to try to get out of the men's way. Sakura used this time to grab various sticks and stones and began hurtling them towards the criminals.

Some actually hit, but their original purpose was to catch them all off guard. While the men were trying to dodge, Sakura jumped in front of Shisui and gave two of the men kicks to their groins. That sent them whirling back in pain.

She twisted her body around and flung one of them towards one man's jaw. A sickening crack alerted her that her leg was still rather strong despite her small frame. She smiled, satisfied, with the result.

"Damn! Why didn't you tell me you could fight?!" Shisui's voice was so loud. Sakura grunted as she twisted her body again to dart in between the man's legs and aimed at his waistline.

"You never asked!" The man tried to grab her ankles, but Sakura grabbed his arm and twisted the other way, hearing another crack. The man yelped in pain.

"Show me that when we get back!"

"I'll do it to you if you'd like!" There was a pause as Sakura kicked high and broke the man's nose.

"On second thought, I don't really want to see that again." After offering one last blow to the ribs, Sakura stood satisfied at the crumbling form of the once tough looking man. She smiled brightly at Shisui.

"Who said that you had a choice?" She gave a playful wink before running towards Sasuke to help him up. The man gave a groan as he stood up.

"What took you so long?"

"I was kicking butt. Didn't you see?" Sakura pointed towards the cowering men on the ground. They were all rolling around on the dirt. It was quite comical to see such large, grown men being outmaneuvered by a single girl. Sakura felt quite proud of herself, to be honest.

Sasuke looked over at her direction and smirked.

"You're not bad for a girl."

"…That's as close as a compliment that I'm ever going to get from you, isn't it?"

"You've gotten smarter from stalking me."

"I don't stalk. I spy."

"And I'm not just handsome. I'm intelligent as well." Sakura rolled her eyes as she snorted.

"Your ego just gets larger by the second."

"Well, gla…" Sasuke was cut off when Shisui ran over to them, panting.

"I'm sorry to disturb your intimate little chat…" At this he gave the two a pointed stare in which both people avoided his gaze. "but we have some serious problems right now. Like that guy who is rummaging through the box." Shisui pointed into the distance, and Sakura could make out Orochimaru's crouched form, slouching over a box.

"Wait, there's weapons in there." Shisui gave her an 'are you serious' look as he groaned.

"I am never going along with Itachi's plans again. Never. Never. Never. Never…" He began chanting as he wandered quickly towards the safety of the trees. Shaking her head, Sakura began to run over towards Orochimaru. A harsh tug stopped her in her steps.

"Are you crazy?" She looked into the eyes of Sasuke. "He is armed, Sakura. You can't just run up to him. Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"Are you worrying for my safety?" Sakura challenged. She was rather interested in his answer. He couldn't be a total ice cube anyways. Everyone had emotions, and his were shown to her more often than any other person, she'd like to think. It was about time that he admitted something.

"…I'm more worried about the damage that is going to be done to my watch." Then again, Uchihas were far too stubborn to admit anything near heartwarming.

"That still means you're worrying for me." She felt a small pang of victory course through her at Sasuke's eye roll.

"If I agree, will you not go after him?"

"Then who will?"

"Me." Sakura gave him an incredulous look.

"You're not the spy. You don't have the job to go after him."

"I'm the one he ordered people to steal from. I should have a say in this as well."

"STOP ARGUING AND GET TO IT!" Shisui's voice rang out from the edge of the darkness. His voice carried out towards Orochimaru's apparently. The old man held up a metal object in the distance. Sakura squinted her eyes to see what it was. When it dawned on her, Orochimaru had already pointed the weapon towards her.

"Oh my g…umph!" The weight of Sasuke toppled Sakura over as she landed on the ground with a loud thud. Sasuke was hunched above her body, and she looked up wonderingly into his worried eyes that caught her off guard.

"You alright?" He was breathless, she realized.

"Yeah…I'm okay." The clicking of a rifle caught both of their attentions.

"Oh, how sweet. This is so sweet, it's sickening." Orochimaru's cold, slimy voice slithered out. Sakura could see his cold, coal eyes glaring at her in the dim moonlight. His dirty appearance shook her to the core. This man was seriously creepy. Even Sasuke shivered slightly. Sakura noticed their uncomfortable position and cleared her throat quietly.

The man on top of her moved slowly off of her. She was slightly disheartened by the lack of warmth. The sight of a loaded pistol however, froze her to the spot. Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he tilted his head to regard her.

"Are you scared, little girl?" Sakura tried hard to find her voice.

"No." It came out as a croaked whisper, but it was better than nothing. Orochimaru's eyes gleamed darkly.

"Little girls shouldn't lie. You need to be punished." The trigger was pulled back menacingly. Sakura could subconsciously feel Sasuke move slightly next to her. She couldn't stray her eyes anywhere else besides the gun directed at her head. Even in all her years as a spy, she had never encountered a situation where she was at gunpoint. Now she knew how action stars felt. They had to run and escape from various situations such as these. If she could remember correctly, many of the tactics used in those action movies consisted of stalling, quick movement, and help from an unknown spectator. She couldn't really stall. Sakura doubted her mind would work to form coherent sentences. Quick movement was not an option either. Her back was bruised from the impact of Sasuke's push. She winced just trying to maneuver herself along the ground.

"Any last words?" Orochimaru's eyes glinted maliciously. The last option was help from an unknown spectator. Sakura chuckled bitterly in her head. She really was done for this time. She heard the cocking of the pistol once more, and she closed her eyes. This could be done fast.

A couple of things happened at the same time then.

First, Sakura felt a wisp of a cold breeze ruffle her hair. She blinked to find the source of the sudden gentle wind.

Then, she heard a groan from in front of her. Sasuke, had once more, tackled her to the ground.

Lastly, Sakura realized that there was a sickening sound of a gun being fired. For one horror stricken second, Sakura stared up at Sasuke to see if he was the one that had been shot at. The man's calm yet determined face revealed nothing. Even a Uchiha wasn't immune to pain so Sakura relaxed slightly. Sasuke wasn't hurt. Thank god.

She tried to push the young heir of Uchiha Corp. off of her. Sasuke grudgingly moved and rolled onto his back. He had been thoroughly drained of his energy and his physical strength. Sakura strained her eyes towards the standing spot of Orochimaru. He was not standing anymore, and she was shocked to see Itachi bent over him with the gun. A trickle of vibrant red rang from the edge of Orochimaru's head. With a disgusted realization, Sakura shook the sight of blood from her mind as she regarded the man in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" He quirked an amused eyebrow at her, acting as if everything was normal. Leave it to a Uchiha to not even bat an eyelash even when they just killed somebody. This emotional control was both fascinating and frightening at the same time. Sakura tried to put that past her thoughts and focused on the fact that Itachi had just saved her life.

"Did you think I would just leave Shisui here by himself?" Sakura gave a bitter chuckle. She stared at the man still hiding in the shadows and beckoned him towards them. Shisui, moodily began stalking for Itachi. He pointed an accusing finger towards his cousin.

"Weasel! That is the last time I'm ever going to follow you." Itachi smirked.

"You know as well as I that you will definitely follow me no matter what I do." Shisui gaped at him in wonder, and then he paused before he could say anything. At the end, he just opted to sigh.

"I don't know how to deal with you people." That accusing finger was now pointed towards Sakura. "Especially you! What kind of girl are you anyways?" Before Sakura could respond, Sasuke cut in.

"Definitely not a normal one." Sakura resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at the man still sprawled on the ground.

"Is that comfortable?" She used a teasing tone and was delighted when he gave a small hint of a smile.

"It is, actually. Mind joining me?" Surprised at his forwardness, Sakura was cut off by Itachi before she could speak.

"Sorry, Romeo. I already called the cops. They'll be arriving here shortly. If you don't want to be caught up in the middle of this case, I suggest we all move and get out of here." Sakura was surprised at how well thought out Itachi was.

She could only nod in agreement as she watched him pull his younger brother off of the ground. As they wandered into the darkness of the night, the only comfort she had of feeling safe was the constant chatter of Shisui, the amusing retorts from Itachi, and the surprisingly warm hand enclosed over hers from a certain young heir of the Uchiha Corporation.

* * *

**Epilogue – The Cliché Ending**

Sakura walked through the giant reception room. Her emerald green dress glittered in the light, and if she did say so herself, she looked pretty darn good.

Her eyes skimmed through the bustling crowd inside the parlor. There were so many men wearing suit and tie, and the women all dazzled themselves up with jewelry and makeup. Sakura personally disliked the artificial feeling of applying on coats of who knows what onto her skin. She also opted to only wear one string of pearls because a certain someone had once told her that simplicity spoke louder than number.

Sakura followed the rest of the people to stand by a balcony, set up like a stage. She caught Sasuke's eye and smiled. She was graced by a smirk. It was the most she was ever going to get out of him.

Although, it was a pleasant surprise when she saw him dressed up in a tux. He looked even more handsome than usual. Sakura bit her lip. It was no time for daydreaming. This was a very special day for the Uchihas, and she intended on paying attention to every part of the speech that will be given.

Itachi stood right next to Sasuke, and he gave a curt nod towards her. Sakura flashed him a smile as well. The Uchiha brothers really did grow on people even if they were antisocial. Last but not least, she eyed Shisui at the podium, delivering his reception speech.

There were sure to be various changes for the Uchiha Corp with Shisui as the manager, but Sakura was sure that they were going to be improvements from the past.

She remembered how shocked that Shisui was when both Itachi and Sasuke claimed that they had no interest in leading the company. Even Fugaku couldn't go up against two Uchiha boys. In the end, the founder gave up his hopes for his sons and gave Shisui the promotion. He was overjoyed, and Sakura had to smack him a couple of times to get him out of his reverie. She laughed joyously at the thought. Both Itachi and Sasuke were free from their father's wrath.

The Orochimaru case had wrapped up rather nicely as well. The police had arrived at the scene, saw the hurt men and dead Orochimaru in the area with boxes full of weaponry and concluded that there was a gang fight. Case closed. It was disturbing to see how easily the police department came to a conclusion about the murder, but Sakura didn't question it. It had worked in her favor, anyways.

When Tsunade told Sakura of what the outcome was, she tried her hardest to not laugh. It was better for the general public to think of that anyways. Neither she nor the Uchiha family would be dragged into it.

Her eyes caught Sasuke's as she watched him slowly mingle off of the balcony and walk towards her. Her breath caught in her throat as she eyed him as he came closer.

"Aren't you supposed to be up there?" He gave her an amused look.

"Aren't you supposed to be hugging me right now like a good girlfriend should?" Sakura laughed good naturally.

"You technically never asked me out."

"And you technically never hugged me after I said that you should've." His forwardness was rather becoming of him nowadays, Sakura realized as she stretched her arms wide and enveloped him into a warm hug. She could feel his lean muscles against her, and she breathed contently. This was a man that could make a spy feel safe. He must be a keeper.

"So what kind of compliments are you thinking of right now to give me?" She was dating a mind reader, Sakura thought absentmindedly.

"How do you know what I'm thinking about?"

"Hn. You're like an open book to me." A smirk appeared on Sakura's face.

"You like books, right?"

"Mhm."

"Me or books?"

"Well, I just compared you to a book, didn't I? That makes you two even." Sakura made a 'tsk'ing sound with her mouth.

"Admit it. I'm more valuable than your books."

"That's because you still have my watch." Sakura pulled away from the hug to gape at him, but her expression disappeared when he pulled her back. His warmth surrounded her senses until the point where Sakura felt as if she was drunk on his closeness.

"My brother was right."

"Hm?" She was too busy smiling against his shoulder to look at him.

"You really do smell like strawberries."

"What?" Her question was muffled by a deep kiss. Sakura sighed contently on the inside. This was by far, the best mission she's ever gotten. And one, that she'll probably never forget.

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And thus, the end of **CrissCross**.

Please read and review. Just don't kill me for the prolonged lapse of nonexistence.


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